Ranelle said the average American male is about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs about 160 pounds. The average American woman is about 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs about 130 to 140 pounds. Gregory Thatcher, an instructor of kinesiology, said recommended dosages on supplement labels are based on a manufacturer's desire to make a profit. Regardless of how much the body actually needs a specific supplement, manufacturers will exaggerate the dosage so customers will have to buy more of the product, Thatcher said. Most of the scientific studies that prove the safety and effectiveness of certain supplements are paid for by the manufacturers of the supplement, so results are often misrepresented, Thatcher said.
Many supplement users say the cost is worth the results the supplements produce.
However, Thatcher said the same amount of nutrients derived from expensive supplements can be simply and cheaply obtained through a balanced diet. Student athletics trainer Toni Trojacek, a senior kinesiology major, said the popularity of nutritional supplements is based on hype and marketing. Ross Bailey, associate director of athletics, said it is essential for student athletes to have a reliable source of nutritional information. The show, directed by the Associate Professor of Theatre, George Brown, and performed by TCU Theatre, runs 8 p.m. today through Sunday, with 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday. David Fluitt, a junior theater major, plays the Bible-beating Episcopalian priest Bishop Ames in his first TCU production.