Download David Edminster Professor Kate Kimball English 2010 section 11

David Edminster
Professor Kate Kimball
English 2010 section 11
October 24, 2012
Not A Quick Fix?
In the United States today, we are now more than ever, seeing an increase in lifestyle
awareness. That is to say we acknowledge our own over-indulgences, especially with regards to
our food and dietary choices. This overindulgence has led to many health concerns, the most
obvious of which are overweight or obese individuals. In addition, poor dietary trends have
caused two main industries to explode economically within the United States. The fast food
industry, and the nutritional supplement market. The focus of this paper is to identify why
people use nutritional supplementation in fitness and how this plays a role in personal identity
growth, as well as our nations' culture. But first lets briefly define what identity is.
The sociological concept of self identity is seen as "the ongoing process of selfdevelopment and definition of our personal identity through which we formulate a unique
sense of ourselves and our relationship to the world around us" (Giddens, Duneier, Applebaum,
and Carr). A further explanation into identity has to do with the concept of socialization.
Simply put, it means the processes by which we come to know the values, norms, and
expectations of a particular society, or group. As our sense of self changes, so do our
interactions with those around us.
Now, the convenience of fast food industries have played a key role in the deterioration
of our nations fitness level as a whole. In fact, the National Center for Disease Control states
that an adult with a body mass index (measurement of body fat based on height and weight)
between 25-29.9% are overweight and anything over 30% is considered obese. In 2009, 63.1%
of adults in the U.S. were either overweight or obese ("Centers For Disease Control and
Prevention").
Realizing that not everyone is overweight and looking for a major change, the
supplement companies offer hundreds of thousands of products to fit a variety of goals. These
can include things such as multi-vitamins, protein powders, fat burners, pre and post workout
energy and recovery drinks, and thousands more for general health and well being. Countless
brands are manufacturing products in order to pander to anyone from the obese individual on
the couch, to the average fitness enthusiast such as myself, or even the hardcore bodybuilder.
It is a common attitude for an athlete to justify taking a whole host of supplements, thinking
they may fall behind the progress of others who are using them to enhance performance. So it
is easy to see why so many people assume supplementation is a quick fix or miracle pill in a
bottle. Studies performed by the USDA Food Surveys Research Group indicated that between
1994-96, approximately 50% of the population, as suggested by the number of those surveyed,
has used, or is currently using a nutritional health supplement (USDA). This number is a rough
approximation, it has undoubtedly increased over the last decade as we see our food become
less and less nutrient dense, and people are turning to supplement products to support optimal
health. Approximately 76% of college athletes surveyed reported using supplements to
enhance performance, as well as 100% of bodybuilders (USDA).
A portion of my income goes to pay for my gym pass and health supplements such as
the protein powders and multivitamins. According to Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach James
Gustason, owner of Max Muscle Sports Nutrition in Bountiful, Utah, "fitness is a lifestyle, and in
order to make the permanent changes to one's life and health, they must be willing to dedicate
themselves physically, and mentally to the challenges of a strict diet and exercise regimen."
In our hectic world full of fast food, this is not a very easy thing to do, most of the time.
The expense of buying organic, fresh meats, fruits, and vegetables to make meals can be very
costly, and in some cases joining a gym can mean entering into a non-negotiable two or three
year contract. So why do people commit themselves "physically and mentally?" To answer this
question I would refer back to Mr. Gustason's quote about fitness as a lifestyle. Those that
embrace it, become part of a sub-culture. We see a value shift in many individuals life's as they
learn to modify their behavior to be more conducive to the fitness lifestyle. They go from
valuing overindulgence and laziness in some cases, to valuing hard work, determination,
commitment and dedication to a goal. It is important to realize, that the kind of changes many
people are trying to make, do not happen overnight. It is a long, often hard change to make.
This sense of changing identity that is associated with a fitness, also changes the way we
interact with those around us. A close personal friend of mine, Jared Walker, said in regards to
supplementation and its effect, "It helps enhance charisma, and social confidence. Not the
supplementing itself, but the results you see. Both internal character growth from discipline,
and external physical growth. Not only is my body growing the way I want it to, but my
confidence and sociable nature also increase. This comes from feeling good about myself in all
aspects." Jared has weight lifted and endurance trained extensively for years, and over that
course of time has used a vast array of supplements to enhance progression.
As stated above, supplements, whether for athletes or anyone else wishing to make
dietary or fitness changes, are now designed and marketed to perform a wide variety of
functions to promote optimal health. The most popular supplement for an athlete such as
myself is a protein powder. Protein is made up of amino acids. These amino acids are the
building blocks of lean muscle tissue, and when ingested following a workout, promote an
anabolic environment in the body. This environment is ideal for muscle growth, and fat loss
(Ahrendt, M.D). Several other popular supplements include creatine, an amino acid that
promotes increases in strength, ands multi-vitamins, which are essential for providing our
bodies with all the proper nutrients for a healthy life style.
There are many thousands of nutritional supplements on the market today, that appeal
to a wide range of people, for many reasons. Within the world of fitness, there is defiantly a
strong trend in supplement use and it has helped to make the supplement industry worth over
11 Billion dollars annually in the year 2000 (Ahrendt, M.D). . James Gustason, Certified Fitness
Nutrition Coach, said that the market is expected "to grow about 12-15% in the next five or so
years, due to people becoming more and more knowledgeable about the poor nutritional
quality of our mass produced food." Speaking for myself, as an athlete who has trained using
various performance enhancing supplements, I can tell you that there are more products on the
shelf that tout results, that are not achievable simply by popping a pill in your mouth. It takes
dedication, hard work, and a deal of common sense to sort out those very few products that
will provide a benefit when coupled with a healthy diet, and exercise program.
Our identity is ever changing. It is largely dictated by who we surround ourselves with,
and what we do with our time and money. A growing trend for many Americans to supplement
their diet with other products, may in turn lead to a future where two out of three people are
not obese or overweight. I feel that these products have the ability to play a key role in lifestyle
alteration, and by extension, self identity.
works cited
Ahrendt, Dale, M.D. "Ergogenic Aids: Counseling the Athlete."www.aafp.org. American
Academy of Family Physician, 01 2001. Web. 23 Oct 2012.
Giddens, Anthony, Mitchell Duneier, Richard P. Applebaum, and Deborah Carr. Essentials of
Sociology. 3rd Ed. New York, London: Norton, 2011. Print.
"Overweight and Obesity." Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. N.p., 13 2012. Web. 21
Oct 2012. http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.
USDA Food Surveys Research Group. Supplementary data tables USDA's 1994–1996 continuing
survey of food intakes by individuals. 1999; Table set 12:33.