Teens Doing Drugs To Lose Weight

[Cathexis]

It has come to my attention that many teenagers seem to be doing drugs because they know they lose weight from it. This is just what I've heard from some local kids..is it fact or fiction, and do you believe that's a valid excuse for anyone, not just teens, to do drugs?

Personally, even though it may seem beneficial..the risks far outweight (no pun intended) the benefits. No excuse in my mind for anyone to do drugs simply because it loses them weight FAST.

[IntrepidIsMe]

No. Narcotics are illegal for a reason (or at least most [to the general public]). Risking your life and those around you to lose weight isn't a good course of action. Espeically since you can do it other ways, where you won't be harming others.

[borgslayer]

Doing any drugs to lose weight even if its a prescription is a bad idea. Just the side effects of trying such a drug is terrible.

[IntrepidIsMe]

Every prescription drug has side effects. The reason that they're out there is because the potential benefit out weighs the potential loss (no pun intended).

[Sam Kenobi]

What I think a lot of teenagers don't realize is that the only reason they're gaining weight in the first place is because they sit around all day on the computer and eat.... It's really not that hard to, you know, not do that.

[lionhead]

yeah, yuo lose wieght when you do drugs alright. But its not really a healthy weight loss. Of course, depends on the kind of drugs. If its Cocaine or Heroine, your screwed. You might have lost weight but your a junkie and wasted your life.

But if its Marihuana, well. I don't tihnk you loose weight from that...

The do use some drugs as pain killers(opium). Thast fine by me, you sue that once untill the pain is gone and then you take the rest back too the apothecary(my dad did that). Of course, its still dangerous.

[Alucard]

I have to say no, all drugs are illegal for reasons.

[magenta]

Are any of you fat,or in high school,and fat copping the taunts from the other kids?I was fat in high school,at 13yrs old,looks and peer pressure is everything.
Getting teased to the point of depression or worse suicide, is hell on earth to a lot of kids today.Diet pills are not the only answer,but are not as bad as they have been made out.10yrs ago I took them for 11mths straight every day,lost a ton of weight,gained fitness,self esteem.The only side affects I had were a few headaches at the begining,dry mouth,just made me drink loads of water.Which was a good thing,and sleeplessness for a few months until I learned to take them early enough in the morning.
Kids need help and support to lose weight,if they are at least 12 or 13 and obese I see no problem with diet pills if all other avenues have been explored!

[Alucard]

[1/1]

If they were dangerously overweight it might help. I don't know if think it's right or not. It's tricky.

[Hitchhiker]

There is no good reason to use illegal drugs or to abuse prescription medicine.

[Cathexis]

Diet pills are a separate issue from illegal drugs anyway.

I'm sorry that you were teased and hurt during your childhood. :'( *hugs ya*

[B'Elanna Torres 7 of 9]

I did a HUUUGE paper on diet pills and such back during my freshman year of college. I'm writing this b/c they can be concidered a drug, although not illegal. Anyway, they are baaaaaaaaaaad baaaaaaaaaaad baaaaaaaaad! Nothing good comes from them!

[Cathexis]

Do you still have any of the sources that you used for your paper?? I'd be curious to know more!

[zero]

NO ONE SHOULD TRY AND ATTEMPT TO LOSE WEIGHT BY TAKING ANY KIND OF DRUG. LEGAL OR NOT.

I strongly believe anyone and everyone can acheive their weight goal. All you have to do is eat right and work out.

People these days think going on a 20 min jog is "working out" or going for a "run" PSSSHHH ... 20 mins of cardio is what you are supposed to do to get your heart rate up THEN go work out ... after your workout you do another 20 mins of cardio. And sweat!! as much as you can.

I have no pity for people who think drugs of any kind will help them lose weight no matter what the side effects are. It is stupidity.

Almost every morning I go on a 3-5 mile run. I don't need to run that much but I do becuase I love eating late at night. I'm not talking fruit or veggies ... I'm talking crap like chips,chocolate,ice cream.

If people would get off their lazy behind's and go out and walk or jog or ANYTHING besides picking up a remote and scarfing a bag of chips they would be in much much better shape.

[lionhead]

true, but bad shape doesn't neccesarely mean fatness.
I mean look at me, i don't do *beep*, eat snacks now and then(i'm not that unhealthy when it ocmes too food i must admit), love salty food but i haven't gained a pound in 20 years.

Fatness is eighter in the family, a bad metabolism or its Heaping up water.

Neighter of those will disappear through training.

[magenta]

Exercise is only part of the issue.If you only dieted and did no exercise,you would lose weight.But if you ate junk or too much food,exercised for an hour a day.You would lose NO weight.Its everything about what you eat,getting fit/exercise just helps you get there quicker,plus tones you up.
The weight loss drug Phentermine is so close to speed[amphetermine]that it must be perscribed by a doctor.It has the same affects and side affects such as your body becoming used to it and the affects wearing off after a month or so.That doesnt happen to everyone,but people who have high blood pressure/heart conditions cant take it!
Anyone can lose weight?If that was the case,the weight loss industry wouldnt be such a multi-million dollar business.The people who say just get more exercise or eat healthier food obviously dont have a weight problem.
People who have a weight problem have tried every avenue to lose weight.They know they should eat less/better food and exercise more,being fat does not mean STUPID!

[the leaves will fall]

I'm getting a little chubby. I think I'll smoke some crack.

[Hitchhiker]

If there is a significant hormone issue at work behind the weight problems then, yes, mediciation is an answer. Sometimes medication is required to correct chemical imbalances. If this is actual dietary medication and it's not being abused, then it's okay because that's it's purpose. The minute a teen starts abusing the medication (or any other drug) it becomes a psychological problem.

However, I believe that the majority of these cases aren't even weight problems at all, but self-esteem issues. The inevitable peer-pressure leads teens to want to conform to society--a society where obesity is looked upon as unhealthy. The truth is, you can be overweight and still be healthy, being "thin" is not required. As long as you exercise regularly and you eat a balanced nutritional diet, then in general you can avoid heart problems regardless of size. Obviously being extremely obese is unhealthy--but so is being extremely skinny.

Obesity is becoming a problem amongst developed nations--not because of hormonal problems, but because we are simply able to devote more time to leisure and have the ability to "give ourselves coronaries by guzzling six times the amount of saturated fat we need" (Island, Huxley ). When it's a pyschological stimulus rather than a chemical imbalance that's causing it, then drugs aren't the issue: psychology is. We need to recondition teenagers to stop being sedentary.

I speak from personal experience, I'm about as sedentary as they get. I don't play any sports, I seldom do strenuous activities like mowing the lawn (although being Canadian, winter is fun fun shovelling time!). I sit in front of my computer and talk with crazy people from all around the world. I also am, for some reason, still incredibly skinny (and yes, I eat a lot). Nevertheless, I recognize the need for more activity in my regimen, because my metabolism won't stay like this forever. Eventually I'll grow older and slower and the more exercise I have, the fitter I will become.

One does not need to be totally active and gung-ho, but even I'm realizing that I can't just sit at my computer all day. The importance is to keep a good balance of both: if one spends an hour playing a video game or watching television, go spend an hour doing some chores or playing outside with friends.

Rather than attempting to cure the problem by helping people lose weight, we also need to devote time to preventing the problem in the first place. The media is a crux in this issue. Culture has reacted to it by emphasizing "thin" as the epitome of beauty. However, the media also wants to sell us french fries and video games. This contradiction is rather difficult to reconcile, eh.

[zero]

[Republican_Man]

Okay, it is NOT valid--it's so not valid. Obviously they are NOT doing it to lose weight, and there are other ways to do it anyways. Wrong, not valid.

[magenta]

When I was a teenager most of my friends were taking speed,mixing it with water to dissolve it on a spoon and drinking it!
The pressure to be skinny or slim rather than normal was the issue.Not being fat or at a normal size 10 to 12.They wanted to look like the supermodels,moviestars that they aspired to be.Smoking was the most common drug used to curb the appetite.
YES the teens are using drugs to keep their weight down.

[zero]

I'm not too sure that is the only reason they are doing drugs. I'm sure Peer Pressure comes into play in some cases.

But what suprises me the most is how girls are doing drugs now to keep thin. In my days they were just throwing up every couple of hours or something like that.

[B'Elanna Torres 7 of 9]

[Cathexis]

Thank you so much!!! I'm definitely going to check out those links ASAP! Your input and links are MUCHO APPRECIATED-O!