body building centres thrive on doping

- Gym owners lure the youth promising good physique within a short span of time - Mr Andhra competitions is the bait - Drugs are being used indiscriminately in the absence of dope tests Visakhapatnam: Are you aiming to become Mr Andhra? Then join a gym and within two or three months your dream would be fulfilled, say gym owners. Similarly, if you are interested in weightlifting, then without batting an eye lid you can knock the door of a nearby gym. Of late, the craze for body building is increasing due to exposure as scores of body builders not only hog the limelight but also win good rewards, including lucrative jobs.A Youth taking a cue from them are flocking to gyms to get a 'six pack' body. Gyms are mushrooming in cities and towns across the State. And Vizag being no exception, gym owners are competing with each other to lure the youth. However, their greed for money is taking a toll on the health of the youth as they are made to take drugs which would give them a good physique within two to three months even without taking good diet. The youth who join the gym were getting addicted to drugs. Mr. Manikyam, a former Olympian, stated that youth, in order to get good jobs, are resorting to body building, as it would pave the way for them either to become a sportsman or a body builder. If they shine in either of the two they would get a job under sports quota, he opined. To get a good physique one should work very hard by taking good diet comprising all vitamins necessary for the body. In a gym, youth were being offered powders and tablets, including steroids, to develop a good physique. Some special shops were set up for body building as they are selling protein supplements. Notably, Rs 5,000 to Rs 12,000 were being spent by the youth to gain muscle strength by purchasing protein supplements. In Vizag, Anabolic Steroids and Donable tablets were being used for body building, said Mr. T Ramu, an instructor in a gym. Dr. Zaheer Ahmed, in Vizag, said that the gym organisers are cashing in on the craze, while the gullible youth with a hope of bright future are spoiling their health by using drugs. A He demanded the drug control officials to crack the whip against those who are transporting and stocking the drugs for body building. It is learnt that the gym owners are making the youth to use drugs as it's a short cut either to have a six pack body or to become a weightlifter. Hence, the youth are falling prey to their publicity.