HOME CONVERSATION

“You’re on drugs!”, The Father.

“NO! I’m not on drugs!”, The Son, clutching chest, pupils dilated.

“Yes you are, you’re on drugs”, The Father.

“No I’m not not. I’m not-not on drugs!”, The Son, stuttering like Porky Pig.

Who is right? The Son is RIGHT! He isn’t on illegal drugs. He’s merely enjoying the muscle defining, over the counter diet pill, ephedra. The father is RIGHT! His son is on drugs: ma huang or ephedra, to be exact. Though unregulated, its perfectly legal. His Son won’t even need to hit the crack house this time!

GYM CONVERSATION

“Are you O.K.?”, Intrusive Fellow-Weightlifter.

“YEAH! Why? What!!!” The Son, head shaking like a strawberry in a blender, thought balloon pasted overhead ‘What’s with these idiots?’

“Just checking.” retorts Annoying Fellow-Weightlifter.

HOSPITAL CONVERSATION

“How are you feeling now?” implores blood-pressure taking Nurse.

“Where am I?” inquires the Son.

“Ward B, Municipal City Hospital. You are lucky to be alive, Son. You’ve just survived a heart attack.”
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The above logical fictions illustrate two phenomenon associated with ingestion of ephedra: psychosis and heart attack. It may startle ephedra users to learn that this appetite suppressant strongly affects behavior. According to The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), ephedra can cause insomnia, nervousness and psychosis by stimulating the central nervous system. The fictional Hospital Conversation dallies close to the truth about ephedra’s health risk. The Ephedra Legal Advice website describes “Ephedra (as) one of the most dangerous of the dietary supplements”. This source accords 800 plus ephedra associated injuries and 50 ephedra related deaths to heart attacks, high blood pressure and concomitant stroke or cerebral hemorrhage.The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) sets the gold standard for the fitness industry. ACSM published a July/August 2003 feature in Health and Fitness citing a multitude of adverse reactions to ephedra (ma huang). These symptoms include “...nausea, vomiting, sweating, irritability, nervousness, insomnia, psychosis, pupil dilation, shortness of breath, dizziness, headaches, disturbances in urination, increased blood pressure, heart palpitations, stroke, heart attack, and death”.

The FDA reports that Ephedra has caused serious side-effects in otherwise healthy people. Notwithstanding, ACSM flags ephedra as particularly dangerous for those with diabetes, glaucoma, hypertension, kidney disease, psychiatric illness, and seizure disorder. ACSM’s Melinda Manore, PH.D, R.D, FACSM warns in the above quoted article that ephedra does not mix with medications for asthma, allergies, depression, cough, colds and heart conditions.

Despite these dangers, proponents of Ephedra at ephedra.net proclaim that the herb “benefits body building and endurance athletes by promoting thermogenesis (the burning of fat)” and that “it is a natural stimulant and appetite suppressant”. Real snake bites are natural too, and they will kill you even deader than fake snake bites. There are infinite ways to burn fat and suppress your appetite without pills. Why not enjoy a racy novel about foodborne illnesses? Add fiber to your diet for that full feeling. Slug down a tall seltzer with lemon. Try rowing, skiing, or swimming to burn 600, 624, and 480 calories per hour respectively (Stillman & Baker).

Ephedra-containing products at fitness centers may be especially troublesome for young adults. According to Susanna Smith, writer for The American Medical Association website, there are “12 million young adults aged 19-29 living without insurance”. Quoting a Commonwealth Fund study, Paul Scherrer reports that adults 19-29 “are more than twice as likely than either children or older adults to be uninsured”. This translates into a hefty chunk of gym-goers lifting with undiagnosed, untreated diabetes, glaucoma, hypertension, kidney disease, psychiatric illness, or seizure disorder. As mentioned earlier, all of these conditions place ephedra users at special risk for stroke and heart attack.

Calling all beloved gym rats: Beware! Ephedra silently swivels its way into many sports drinks. Unless you scrutinize labels, you could unintentionally down a disagreeable dosage. Ephedra marketing attracts club-goers with no-calorie beverages claiming to “Give you energy”. View with guarded skepticism calorie free “foods” promising to enhance performance. Zero calories equals zero energy. Being energized and being shaky are two different states. You might vibrate like a high-hat after quaffing ephedra drinks, but your body will still lack fuel.

Calling all Fitness Club Owners! Toss your ephedra containing products into Mr. Dumpster. Hampshire Fitness Club in Amherst sets a good example for all area health clubs, maintaining an ephedra-free environment. When asked what she thinks of Dietary Supplements, Hampshire Fitness Club co-owner Debra Scoon replies, “We believe in food”.

Pill popping sidesteps the attitudes, habits, and coping mechanisms underlying obesity. In the short-term, its easy to scarf a pill. But you be The Judge. Are the risks of ephedra really worth the benefits? Go home and talk it out with Your Son.