The doctor started to explain the risks associated with steroid use. He pulled up the website mayoclinic.org and showed him that “Anabolic steroids come with serious physical side effects as well. Men may develop: Prominent breasts, Baldness, Shrunken testicles, Infertility, Impotence, Prostate gland enlargement.”(mayoclinic.org) He explained that these were only some of the risks associated with steroid use. The list for side effects of steroids goes a lot longer than the few examples that the doctor had given him. Upon listing the side effects the doctor let Jeremy know that the choice was his to make because it was his body, and that he only could try to influence him to live a healthier lifestyle. Next, the doctor went into his supplement use. He explained that we need nutrients to have our bodies work properly, but getting excess nutrients could actually hurt our bodies rather than help. According to the US National Library of Medicine “although various nutrients are required for normal growth, maintenance and repair of tissues, it has been demonstrated that the excess of nutrient intake may cause adverse effects on organs and metabolism.”(ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) Hearing this information concerned Jeremy because unlike the 6 months of steroid use, he had been abusing supplements for years. The doctor told him that they will …show more content…
Furthermore, some of the nutrients are essential nutrients, meaning that if you do not ingest them, you will develop deficiencies: the body cannot make these nutrients for themselves.” He explained that along with his diet of protein that he needed to get all the other nutrients as well especially calcium since he was lactose intolerant. But he would need to get calcium from other sources that were fortified with calcium rather than all from dairy products. The doctor told him to “Keep in mind that even if you have lactose intolerance, you may still be able to eat some foods with lactose. Many people with lactose intolerance are able to handle small amounts (one to two cups) of milk throughout the day. Start with ½ cup of milk (125 mL) with a meal and see how it goes.”(eatrightontario.ca) The doctor went back to his high protein diet and told him that he only needs a certain amount of protein a day and that his body would not use the excess that he is ingesting. He also told him that “The British Dietetic Association (BDA) says high levels of additional protein can cause side-effects, which can include nausea as well as kidney and liver damage.”(bbc.co.uk) Upon hearing all of these negative facts about his diet and substance use Jeremy knew that he needed to make a change if he wanted to have a