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Use of Drugs to Change Appearance in Girls and Female Adolescents

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Chemically Modified Bodies

Abstract

With the known increase in body dissatisfaction and poor body image experienced by adolescent girls, there has been an increase in the frequency and diversity of strategies used for body and appearance modification among this population group. Despite this, the prevalence of appearance-enhancement drug usage among adolescent girls has been a little studied phenomenon. The aim of this literature review is to search the published research literature from major databases worldwide to examine the definitions of appearance-enhancement drug and nutritional supplement types and to examine reported usage among girls. The review identified several types of drugs that are used for appearance enhancement including anabolic-androgenic steroids, stimulant drugs (amphetamines, ecstasy, and cocaine), diet pills, slimming pills, and laxatives. Nutritional supplement usage included creatine monohydrate, protein shakes or powder, and amino acids. In addition to drugs and supplements, behaviours for body enhancement purposes included smoking for weight control and tanning products, such as tanamins or tanning pills and minerals that are marketed for the promotion of clear skin and shiny hair, such as silica tablets. Skin-whitening substances are used in some Asian countries, such as in Japan, under the product name of ‘Bihaku’. The chapter will also detail some of the implications of these findings for school-based health education.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education & Social Work, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia

    Jennifer O’Dea

  2. Faculty of Education and Arts, Australian Catholic University, Victoria Pde, 250, 3002, East Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Renata Leah Cinelli

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  1. Jennifer O’Dea
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  2. Renata Leah Cinelli
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Derby, Derby, United Kingdom

    Matthew Hall

  2. Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom

    Sarah Grogan

  3. Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, United Kingdom

    Brendan Gough

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O’Dea, J., Cinelli, R.L. (2016). Use of Drugs to Change Appearance in Girls and Female Adolescents. In: Hall, M., Grogan, S., Gough, B. (eds) Chemically Modified Bodies. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-53535-1_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-53535-1_4

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