They may take steroids or other muscle-building drugs. Since this is a relatively new disorder, not much in the way of statistics is available. It is believed, however, that two percent of the population suffers from this disorder. Over 70 percent of the time its onset is before the age of 18. The abuse of anabolic steroids can be extremely dangerous.
Anabolic steroids are man-made substances related to male sex hormones.
These drugs are available legally only by prescription, but athletes and others use them illegally to enhance performance and also to improve physical appearance. There are several severe side effects of these drugs, but they can be particularly harmful to adolescents. When taken by teens, growth can be halted prematurely through premature skeletal maturation and accelerated puberty changes. The Monitoring the Future study found that most anabolic steroids users are male, and among male students, past year use of these substances was reported by 2.2 percent of 8th graders, 2.8 percent of 10th graders, and 2.5 percent of 12th graders. Other side effects can include liver tumors and cancer, jaundice, high blood pressure and cholesterol, severe acne and trembling.