Blog
Mehr Shafiei

Big Muscles, Tiny Pills: Steroids Taking Over Beirut

Yes, steroids are legal in Lebanon. But that doesn’t mean they don’t come with real risks.

Most people would agree that gyms and personal trainers are pretty expensive in Lebanon. Looking good, however, has so much social currency that for those who can afford it, no price is too high. Dedication to beauty isn’t strictly a female domain—more and more men are experiencing psychological disorders associated with unhealthy body images.

It sounds made up but “bigorexia,” better known as Muscle Dysmorphia, is a disorder where a person feels he (since it mainly afflicts males) is too tiny and insufficiently muscular. Symptoms of the disorder include obsessive thoughts about exercising and diet to the point where it is prioritized over everything else and interferes with daily functioning. It is sometimes dubbed the Adonis Complex.

Very often bigorexia is accompanied by steroid use to achieve the desired look, and while it is illegal in most countries, here in Lebanon the use of steroids is much more common than it should be. But nobody will admit to actually using them, everyone wants to seem “au naturel.”

Most of the steroids found in Lebanon are mainly imported from China and Thailand, and their quality of course cannot be guaranteed. A cycle costs around $800 and lasts between 3-4 months. But the real cost may be much higher.

Physical side effects include the development of breasts, shrunken testicles, and infertility – to name a few. Psychologically, steroid use can trigger insane mood swings, paranoid thoughts, and violent rage. Sorry to say this but if you’ve been on Gemmayze street at 3 AM on any given Saturday night, you may have witnessed these tough guys with short fuses. They don’t call it lean and mean for nothing.

It’s understandable why some men want to look more ripped; it’s an evolutionary advantage in an increasingly competitive sexual marketplace. There are other commodities worth investing time to improve—like good manners, culture, a good sense of humor, to just name a few. At the end of the day, nothing is ever worth risking your mental and physical health.