Fitness, Beauty, Supplements, and Money 
Christa Williams 

“Good to the last drop”, “Best things come to those who                 wait”, “What’s In Your Wallet?” and “Mmm Mmm Good.” 

                     Shows like Extreme Makeover on the ABC network makes over
                     troubled men or women each week with plastic surgery, dental work, and
                     liposuction all in the pursuit of happiness by looking breathtakingly
                     beautiful.  The Fox Network has the granddaddy of all shows called The
                     Swan, where they take women with little to no self–esteem or
                     self-confidence due to an apparent lack of outward beauty and, similar to
                     the ABC program, completely make them over with various surgeries.  At
                     the end of the show, however, only one woman is chosen to be a
                     contestant in the Swan beauty pageant.  What an awful signal to give to
                     these poor women! “You weren’t pretty when we started and you didn’t
                     make a big enough improvement to compete in a pageant.”  No wonder
                     health books and fad diets are skyrocketing.  People want to look like the
                     images portrayed in the media.  In 2003, diet and health books rang up an
                     estimated $500 million in sales [1], not to mention weight loss drugs. 
                     Americans spend over $1 billion a year on over the counter or prescription
                     weight loss supplements [2].  “Only two, Meridia and Xenical are
                     approved for long-term obesity treatment” [2, p. 90].  The companies that
                     create and sell these weight loss supplements are becoming rich while they
                     receive tax breaks from the current administrations at the same time. 

                     Magazines, such as Muscle and Fitness Hers or Cosmopolitan, display
                     countless photos of models, sports stars, and actors giving the average
                     reader unrealistic views of beauty and fitness.  In the Muscle and Fitness
                     Hers (April 2004, pp. 52-54), the advertisement for Hydroxycut diet pills
                     is placed next to or includes photos of ultra-thin and fit looking women. 
                     The photos of these people are likely air brushed to make them look
                     flawless.  “Increased exposure to over sexualized and underfed images in
                     the media is correlated with increased dieting and body-image problems in
                     girls.”  This is a quote from Margo Main [3], a counselor for children with
                     eating disorders. 

                     There are so many mixed messages regarding health and wellness in the
                     media, it is enough to make a person’s head spin.   The media needs to
                     make a profit just like any other for-profit company.  Obviously, the
                     primary way for newspapers, television stations, magazines, and books to
                     make a profit is to increase readership.  The hot topic for many people is
                     their personal well being and nutrition.  The media is able to access a large
                     amount of the approximately 8000 nutrition-related research articles
                     published each year [4].  Advertising along with the journalists (media) and
                     the drive for money is the problem.  Good advertising is one key to a
                     successful product, but not all advertising is good.   For example, 94% of
                     the marketing and advertising materials placed by drug companies have
                     been determined to lack scientific evidence [5]?   Does profit trump what
                     is right, and what is ethical?  At times, it does and there is no question this
                     is true.  As long as there are consumers seeking the quick and easy routes
                     to loose weight, and as long as there are skilled salesman, there will always
                     be a market for nutritional products and services touting solutions.   This
                     also raises the question:  “Why do people believe so much of the nutrition
                     nonsense?”  Some experts believe it is as simple as people believing what
                     they hear or what they see in print.  Promotional materials are worded
                     wisely to sound true and scientifically proven.  Laws that govern truth in
                     advertising are rarely enforced and new products just happen to appear
                     when existing bogus products are determined not to work. 

                     Dietary supplements, in particular, should be advertised to the public to
                     improve a limited number of health concerns.  Instead, since the Food and
                     Drug Administration (FDA) has only  minimum standards for the labeling,
                     the degree of risk reduction does not need to be stated (except in terms of
                     ‘may’ or ‘maybe’).  For example, the Quaker Oat Bran cereal box
                     displayed on page 64 of Melvin Williams’s 7th edition of the Nutrition for
                     Health, Fitness and Sport text [6], states that Oat Bran [may] reduce the
                     risk of heart disease.  Another government organization, the Federal Trade
                     Commission (FTC) holds the authority to remove products from the
                     advertising world, if they make false claims.  The FTC did crack down on
                     the “European Weight Loss Patch,” but the FTC is busy with more
                     dangerous products that appear on the market.  This leaves unfortunately,
                     many misguided nutrition ads that still appear on the airwaves [4]. 

                          “Teaming up nutritional science with network marketing
                         makes an awesome twosome!” – Promotional article for
                         “Nutritional Systems” in an advertising magazine [4] 

                     Taking nutritional and diet supplements are unnecessary if people follow a
                     good balanced diet of a variety of foods.   Many of the foods available on
                     grocery store shelves provide the public with the essential daily intake of
                     vitamins and minerals.  And, yet there are many people who take vitamins
                     and mineral supplements to ward off any possible health problems caused
                     by their lack of a good diet.  They fail to understand that taking
                     supplements will not fill the nutritional gaps.  Only eating better will fill those
                     gaps.  Vitamins and minerals should only be taken when there is a need for
                     them, for instance, pregnant women (iron and folate), elderly (multiple
                     types), newborns (vitamin k), people with vitamin and mineral deficiency
                     diseases, and vegans (vitamin B12 and D) [4]. 

                     Eat a well balanced diet, throw in some exercise to lose weight and to stay
                     fit and only take supplements when absolutely necessary sounds easy
                     enough right?  Why, then, are companies making millions and billions of
                     dollars selling supplements?  One reason is that people want the quick and
                     easy way to lose weight.  They don’t want to put much thought or effort
                     into it.  It is easier to reach for Hyrdoxycut that claims to support weight
                     loss and reduce appetite, or the new breakthrough formula of Diet Fuel to
                     lose weight and gain energy with a great green little pill.  Or, how about
                     fighting that darn “hunger hormone” with a new miracle pill called Zotrin
                     without thinking about the possible negative side effects or that the product
                     is bogus and will not work.  As the old saying goes:  “If it sounds too good
                     to be true, it probably is.”  A few more unbelievable advertisements and
                     dietary supplements include the following [7, 8]: 

                         • “If you want to take your sport to a new level, start it off
                         with new Extreme Energy Tech”  - it’s a pre-workout drink
                         to increase your energy levels. 
                         • Xenadrine –EFX:  “Real People. Real Science. Real
                         Success.” 
                         • Nitro-Tech, Cell-Tech – protein shakes and bars 
                         • Body Shaper: “Shake into Shape” 
                         • Dermalin-Apg: “Penetrating Gel Helps Emulsify Fat On
                         Contact” 
                         • Meso-Tech 
                         • Tetrazene 
                         • Leptoprin – “Helps to overcome the genetic link to
                         obesity.” 
                         • Detour 
                         • Myoplex Lite 
                         • Carbo Loss 
                         • Keto Ketato 
                         • Taraxatone 
                         • Carb Dynamx 

                     One supplement called ephedrine was a very popular weight loss pill.  It is
                     now a banned substance.  Ephedrine stimulates the central and peripheral
                     nervous systems, which creates an increase in heart rate, blood pressure,
                     peripheral vasoconstriction, increased alertness, and an accelerated
                     metabolic rate [9].  It is estimated that “…at least 3 billion doses of
                     over-the-counter ephedrine or extracts from ephedra were ingested in the
                     United States in 2000.”  What was so awful about this little pill?  The
                     problem is the side effects.  Ephedrine is similar to ingesting amphetamines
                     that produces abnormal heart function, mood disturbances, headaches,
                     and/or gastrointestinal dysfunction.  Athletes, in hopes of obtaining a
                     performance edge, most commonly used the amphetamines such as
                     Benzedrin and Dexedrine but “little to no advantage exists” [9, 10] 

                     Amphetamines are dangerous because they can lead to drug dependency
                     and cardiovascular disorders with increased dosages.  This is common
                     because the tolerance to it increases with time and the body’s normal
                     instincts to react to heat stress, pain and fatigue are suppressed.  The
                     question is how did these drugs make it into the hands of athletes and the
                     general public?  How much money did the CEOs of ephedrine make at the
                     expense to the health and well being of the public?  Ethics should play a
                     much larger part in this discussion.  Why can’t people lose weight the old
                     fashioned way with less food consumption and increased activity instead of
                     the quick route with pills, which could endanger their health?  Why is it
                     right for athletes to synthetically enhance their bodies in order to win? 
                     Shouldn’t winning be about one’s own strength and persistence? 

                     The supplement use problem is not only an American problem.  A website
                     [11] found from the United Kingdom entitled “Sports-Supplements”
                     advertises a beginners guide to supplements and a wide selection of
                     performance aids claiming to enhance an athlete or the general public
                     abilities, energy and muscle.  The products range from fat loss stacks,
                     creatine, protein powers and amino acid tablets to carbohydrate
                     supplements.  They claim to build muscle (protein powders), to more
                     effectively digest protein (amino acids), to give muscles more energy to
                     move (creatine), and to accelerate fat loss (fat loss stacks).  These
                     supplements and more can be purchased online and shipped right to your
                     front door!  And, interestingly, athletes are also taking part in the huge
                     business of supplements.  Clever target marketing is taking place just for
                     the athletes, because the supplements are labeled as performance
                     enhancers or ergogenic aids.  Williams [6] states that, “It has been
                     estimated that over 25 billion dollars a year are spent on questionable
                     health practices in the United States.” 

                     Athletes also take part in some of the questionable health practices, such
                     as using illegal drugs (steroids and blood doping).  Mechanical aids
                     (equipment adjustments), psychological aids (mental strength),
                     physiological aids (blood doping), pharmacological aids (steroids), and
                     nutritional aids (protein supplements) are a few of the classifications of
                     ergogenic aids for athletes.  It seems that athletes are driven to win at any
                     cost.  The will and need to win is not only an internal feeling.  There is also
                     considerable pressure from society and from sponsors as well.  The
                     sponsors will only provide money for the team or individual if the name of
                     their product is displayed proudly on the chest, car, or clothes of the
                     winners.  For example, Tiger Woods now plugs Buick cars and Nike
                     clothing because he is a great golf player and has won major tournaments. 
                     Lance Armstrong is promoting Subaru cars, Trek bikes, the United States
                     Postal Service, and the Discovery Channel because he is an athletic
                     machine winning now seven Tour de France biking competitions.  Lance
                     Armstrong has never been tested positive for illegal substances to enhance
                     his performance, but well-known Olympic shot-putter C.J. Hunter, the
                     ex-husband of Marion Jones 2000 Olympic gold medalist, was banned
                     from competition for steroid use [12].   Marion Jones new boyfriend, Tim
                     Montgomery, has also been charged by the USADA for using steroids and
                     other banned substances. 

                     If its not athletes taking drugs, what about the fad diets?  The Atkins, Low
                     –Carb, and South Beach have become the diet phenomenon in America. 
                     Walk in any supermarket and head into any aisle, what is different?  There
                     are new lines of products all claiming to be low-carb.  There are now
                     low-carb breads, salad dressings, peanut butters, jelly, ketchup, cereal,
                     yogurt, and snack foods.  The low-carb industry has put over 1,558 new
                     products on the supermarket shelves and low-carb companies are
                     expected to bring in $30 billion dollars worth of revenue in 2004 [13]. 
                     Who is consuming all these new products?  The approximately 26 million
                     Americans currently on the hard-core low-carb diet.  The average person
                     spends $85 per month on specialty foods.  The ballpark concession
                     stands, beer producers, and the fast food giants like Mc Donalds, Burger
                     King, Hardees, and Subway are all adding or adjusting their menus to
                     reflect customer demand for low-carb and Atkins diet foods.  Hardees
                     landed the superstar baseball player Mark McQwire to promote their new
                     bunless thick burger.  Burger King is releasing a new Angus steak burger
                     that is wrapped in lettuce and doused with low-carb steak sauce.   The
                     downfall of many of these new low-carb menu items is that they may
                     contain less carbs, but they are likely to be much higher in fat and calories. 
                     Another problem with the low-carb diet world is the FDA does not have a
                     definition for low-carb, reduced-carb, or light-carb foods. 

                     What about the science behind carbohydrates?  The primary function of
                     carbohydrates is to supply energy for cellular work [10].  Carbohydrates
                     are very valuable ingredients in the process of making cellular energy. 
                     Also, in order to process fat for energy, carbohydrates are needed at the
                     cell level.  If the carbohydrate stores become depleted, it greatly increases
                     the level of fatigue during exercising.  If carbohydrates are cut back, the
                     water content in the body is decreased [15].  When one gram of
                     carbohydrate is lost, that equals 2.6 grams of water lost.  The lost weight
                     soon returns once the person returns to normal eating because the water
                     lost with the use of the low-carb diet soon returns. 

                     The Aktins diet was introduced in 1972 [13].  It emphasizes the increase in
                     protein and the decrease in carbohydrates.  The amount of carbohydrates
                     is increased as the weight loss slows down.  Dr. Atkins claimed that the
                     weight loss is due to the state of ketosis, when the body reaches a
                     fat-burning state from the lack of carbohydrates.  The general public may
                     be increasing their usage of supplements and/or interest in fad diets to
                     simply lose weight or trying to emulate the superstar athletes and models
                     seen on various forms of the media.  This speculation has yet to be proven
                     correct, but where else do people get ideas that they need to look a certain
                     way other than what is shown on television, magazines, billboards, Internet
                     and newspapers?   If young girls saw never see images of the eighteen year
                     old and now confirmed anorexic superstar    Mary -Kate Olsen, would
                     they know what ultra-thin is and try to obtain that image through
                     supplements, fad diets or eating disorders [14]?   Eating disorders are also
                     another way young girls and women develop to shed a few pounds.  More
                     than 90% of people with eating disorders are women [15].  Amazingly this
                     is not just a disease for the average young woman; female athlete triads are
                     at the greatest risks for developing eating disorders.  Female athletes
                     involved in gymnastics, figure skating, ballet, diving and various endurance
                     sports.    “The values that certain societies place on female thinness, the
                     need to conform to society’s expectations of acceptable body weight and
                     shape, …are commonly offered as the underlying causes for this (anorexia
                     nervosa) disorder…” [4]. 

                     Ironically, putting all the fad diets and supplements aside, the obesity rate is
                     going up higher and higher, with nearly two-thirds of the United States
                     adults overweight [2].  As of January 2000, 25% of the adult population is
                     classified as obese, which means they have a body mass index greater than
                     thirty.  One in six kids from age 6-15 years old are overweight.   The
                     epidemic of obesity is not just limited to the United States; it is becoming a
                     worldwide problem because of the influx of the fast food American
                     companies into other countries.  The increase in types of foods people are
                     consuming, especially the increase of high-fructose corn syrup found in soft
                     drinks, fast food and with the lack of exercise are the main reasons for the
                     obesity increase [2].    In 1969, 80% of kids played sports every day;
                     today 20% do [2].  Behind tobacco, obesity is the second leading cause of
                     preventable deaths in America [10]. 

                     We need to start to rearrange our value system in this country, to take
                     away the spotlight from the athletes and superstars and place it on the
                     average middle-class and individuals or groups performing great work in
                     the world through teaching, engineering, inventing, social justice, and
                     human services.   Put the teacher of the year on commercials to promote
                     Subaru cars, Buick, or Nike.   Create nationally televised awards to
                     people who actually impact the world, not just give us something to watch
                     on a square box.   Create reality shows about poverty in America, the
                     inner city school environment, the working poor Americans, instead of the
                     ridiculous show called ‘Simple Life’ with multi-millionaire Paris Hilton. 
                     What a turn the country would take away from the money hunger, and
                     beauty obsessed culture we live in today. 
 
                    References 
                     1. Armstrong, J., Johnson, P., and Duhme, S. (May 2001). The Effect of
                     Commercial Thermogenic Weight Loss Supplement on Body Composition
                     and Energy Expenditure in Obese Adults.  Journal of Exercise
                     Physiologyonline. 4:28-35. 
                     2. LeMonick, M. (2004).  How We Grew So Big.  Time.  6:60-90. 
                     3. McLellan, F. (2002). Marketing and Advertising: Harmful to Children’s
                     Health.  Lancet. 360:1001. 
                     4. Brown, J. (1999). Nutrition Now. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth
                     Publishing. Pp. 3-3 – 3-9,   11-4, 24-2 –24-6. 
                     5. Boone, T. (2004). Cheating in Sports. Professionalization of Exercise
                     Physiologyonline. 7. 
                     6. Williams, M. (2005). Nutrition for Health, Fitness & Sport.  7th
                     edition: New York,  NY: McGraw Hill. Pp.18-24. 
                     7. Weber, M. (2003). Weight Loss that Works. Muscle and Fitness
                     Hers. 2:3,13,45. 
                     8. Weber, M. (2004). Muscle and Fitness Hers. 37,46,94,
                     103-105,114,119. 
                     9. Robergs, R., Boone, T., and Lockner, D. (2003). Exercise Physiologist
                     Should Not Recommend the Use of Ephedrine and Related Compounds
                     as Ergogenic Aids or Stimulants for Increased Weight Loss.  Journal of
                     Exercise Physiologyonline.  6:42-52. 
                     10. McArdle W., Katch, F., and Katch L. (2001). Exercise Physiology.
                     5th edition:  Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. Pp.
                     140,141,821,550,563. 
                     11. Johnston, R. (2000). Beginners Guide to Sports Supplements. 
                     Sports Supplements.co.uk 
                     12. Hewitt, B., Harrington, M., and Ballard, M. (2004). A Rush to
                     Judgment.  People.  62:71. 
                     13. Kadlec, D. (2004).  The Low-Carb Frenzy.  Time.  3:46-54. 
                     14. Zwecker, B. (2004). Mary-Kate Olsen Gets Treatment for Anorexia. 
                     Sun-Times.  23 June. 
                     15. Wilmore, J., and Costill, D. (2004). Physiology of Sport and
                     Exercise. 3rd edition: Hong Kong.  Pp. 461 –465, 487-488.