Concern over teen boys increasing use of unregulated protein supplements

An estimated 60 per cent of adolescent boys are dissatisfied with their bodies, and they are increasingly turning to the use of unregulated supplements and steroids.

A new high school education program, Three Dimensions Project, is targeting adolescent boys in a bid to decrease supplement use.

Zali Yager, leader of the project, spoke to Ross and John this morning.

She said that whilst use of steroids is still very low among teenage boys, with approximately one to two percent of boys using steroids, protein powder use is rising dramatically.

“What we are seeing is a huge increase in the protein powder use. Up to 35 per cent of adolescent boys 15 years old have used protein powder. That can vary obviously, there’s your run of the mill natural protein powder or those ones in huge tubs that have a whole lot of other substances in them as well”, she said.

Ms Yager said the unregulated nature of these powders is cause for concern.

“There’s no regulations, there’s no rules about what can be put in there, and we don’t know the impact that has on a developing adolescent body.”