Father Speaks Out Over Dangers Of 'Bigorexia' Following Son's Spiral Into Drugs And Crime
A man who says his son developed a fascination with gaining muscle which led him to take steroids and then class A drugs has been speaking out about the dangers of becoming obsessed with body image.
Speaking to Key 103’s sister station Radio City he noted:
"He was always a sporty kid then at ages 13/14 he gained weight and this lasted a couple of years. When he lost it he started obsessing about how he looked"
"He said he still saw the kid who was chubby, and then soon became addicted to working out. It spiralled from there and got out of control"
The man who wishes to remain anonymous said his son then started using steroids in his early 20s.
"It was a pathway to get bigger. I noticed a change in his behaviour. He was more aggressive, he couldn't stop looking at himself in the mirror. He then started using cocaine, lost his job and then started dealing. All the while going to gym. He became very isolated"
The man's convinced his son developed 'bigorexia' - a condition which convinces people that they're small even though they're big. It's that condition, the man believes is a key factor into why his son started taking steroids, then class A drugs.
David Todd is a lecturer at Liverpool's John Moores University. He's been looking into the condition.
He said: "As a society we're building a culture where men start to feel that whats represents masculinity"