technology and the supplement industry

[gymrat]

I'm working on a paper for a sociology class, and was hoping i could get some opinions, perspectives, thoughts, on how you think technology has effected the supplement business.

I'm interested from the time period of when Joe Weider first developed supplements, to the multinational corportations of today. I'm particularily intrested on the effects these "developments' have had on westren culture.

Any thoughts would be great.

 

[Kakdiesel]

funny that you brought it up..me and a guy who competes I know at the gym talked about this.

Technology has made our society as a whole lazy.

Promises of ab tronic, exercise machines, etc. (excluding nautilus, cybex, free weights etc. that you see in the gym) and other "pieces of exercise equpiment" give the general public an "easy"way of getting into shape--when the reality is, there IS NO easy way.

Supplmentation (fat burners especially) have given our society the power to self-medicate and diagnose themselves. They think they know EVERYTHING about a supplment cuz they read the ad in Muscle and Fitness or whatever..so they think they're "IN" the circle of health and think to themselves," Yeah I know what i"m doing..its these stupid people who work so hard in the gym to burn calories that are stupid"

Technology has helped the supp industry by in a good way though..now we dont have to go out to the herbal garden and go to our garages to extract all the alkaloids we need for ephedrine, caffeine, etc...we can just buy pharmaceutical grade or have the alkaloids already isolated themselves by the supp company.

Other "good" things about technology and supps: things like vitamins and minerals...some people Cannot or WIll not get those from diet alone, and its convenient to pop a pill that is a multivitamin..I'll give them that.

But I'm sure many will agree that supplmentation has been driven by the corporate entity and consumer dollars. I know people who are huge, ripped, etc. in the gym that do not take any supplements! No they dont look like they can compete or anything but they are fit, low body fat, muscular individuals because they have worked at it.

Again in conclusion, technology and supplmentation has its good aspects (vitamins) and bad (fat burners, so called "anabolic" properties) that has led to the downfall of the modern work ethic of people.

 

[gymrat]

I agree with ya bro.

I think that with the amazing power of marketing, supplements are introduced to the "general" public. People see these adds, and don't think twice about what they actually buying.

we're in a world of "technopoly," people see the advances of thse technologies, and never question it.

all to often techology is taken for absolute truth, and that's scary.

 

[gymrat]

shameless bump

 

[bunnymt]

Well I have to agree of course that technology has made people lazy with respect to the supplement industry. That is one perspective you should take.
However, in your paper I would suggest that you present all of the arguments (both of them as I see thus far):
1. that technology has affected the supplement industry positively
2. that technology has affected the supplement/fitness industry negatively.

Once you present these two arguments in detail, decide where you stand on the topic.


Just some quick suggestions for the structure of your paper...


bunny

 

[gymrat]

Well I have to agree of course that technology has made people lazy with respect to the supplement industry. That is one perspective you should take.
However, in your paper I would suggest that you present all of the arguments (both of them as I see thus far):
1. that technology has affected the supplement industry positively
2. that technology has affected the supplement/fitness industry negatively.

Once you present these two arguments in detail, decide where you stand on the topic.


Just some quick suggestions for the structure of your paper...


bunny

thanks for suggestions.