Deadly search for beautiful bodies.

The greatest abuse of anabolic steroids is not by competitive athletes, but in youths who take them for cosmetic reasons to develop a muscular physique. "A recent study suggests that 250,000 to 500,000 high school male seniors under the age of 18 have used or are currently using anabolic steroids," reports Herbert A. Haupt, a St. Louis orthopedist who served as a drug tester for the U.S. Olympic trials.

"Unlike the competitive athlete who finds it convenient to terminate the use of anabolic steroids when competition ends, the young male body builders are likely to continue to take steroids indefinitely to maintain the cosmetic effects. The abuse of steroids by young males is becoming as prevalent as eating disorders in young females. We now know more about the addictive nature of these drugs and their adverse psychological effects. Parents should educate themselves about the signs of anabolic steroid abuse so that they can intervene with teens." They should be concerned if their child develops a preoccupation in working out with weights and becoming bigger "overnight," develops acne, and/or experiences a change in mood or behavior.

Anabolic steroid abusers usually suffer some degree of personality change, ranging from mood swings to a severe psychosis requiring hospitalization. "A Jekyll and Hyde personality is common where even the slightest provocation can cause an...