Why Pakistan's Bodybuilders Are Dying



Last year, national bodybuilding champion and winner of Mr Pakistan 2011, Shehzad Khan Afridi, suddenly died of a heart attack just a few days after winning a gold medal at the National Championship in Karachi. It is widely understood within the community that the real cause of death was the use of deadly and illegal steroids – and this wasn’t an isolated incident.

For many lower class kids in Pakistan today, bodybuilding has become an obsession and a route out of the abject poverty in which they were born. But time spent at the gym brings them into contact with unscrupulous actors feeding off their dreams, and supplying them with steroids.

VICE World News is in Pakistan to explore firsthand the obsessive culture of bodybuilding among frustrated lower working-class men and how, after investing more than they can afford in this competitive and unforgiving sport, they end up gambling with their lives for a shot at wealth and fame.

Check out the VICE World News playlist for global reporting you won’t find elsewhere: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw613M86o5o4S3BXgi3bCiIVuopQxIMgV

Watch more like this:

Inside Pakistan’s Morgues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYNzQTKSoGc&t=2s

The Heroin Pill Sparking Deadly Turf Wars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwH6os1Y1p4&t=728s

South Africa’s Descent into Chaos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cew-BnjA_q4

Produced & Directed by Saad Zuberi
(Insta: https://www.instagram.com/zuberisaad/ | Twitter: https://twitter.com/saadmzuberi)
DOP: Haider Ali
Editor: Husain Qaizar Yunus
Associate Editor: Nina Zehri
Assistant Producer: Sharjeel Arshad

Help keep VICE News’ fearless reporting free for millions by making a one time or ongoing contribution here. – https://vice.com/contribute

Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News

Check out VICE News for more: http://vicenews.com

Follow VICE News here:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vicenews
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vicenews
Tumblr: http://vicenews.tumblr.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/vicenews
More videos from the VICE network: https://www.fb.com/vicevideo

#VICENews #News

source

38 thoughts on “Why Pakistan's Bodybuilders Are Dying”

  1. Imagine not allowing women to watch the competition because it’s not Islamic but allowing men to flex shirtless and putting all kinds of steroids in their bodies … hypocrisy at its best

    Reply
  2. “Despite the expensive diet required to compete naturally”.

    You can’t just take steroids and become huge. You also need to train hard and eat correctly.

    Vice are lazy as usual with their journalism

    Reply
  3. Steroids are easy in Pakistan
    Terrorism are easy in Pakistan
    Blasphemy killing are easy in Pakistan
    Rapes are easy in Pakistan
    Human Trafficking are easy in Pakistan
    Everything is easy in Pakistan
    One country , countless lies , countless idiots , countless bombers , countless rascals..
    .

    Reply
  4. Meat causes heart disease.
    These people eat too much meat.
    End of story.

    Next time maybe consult a fucking cardiologist.

    *oh and it's easier than ever to get cocaine and extacy over there. "tabletka" is very popular. That doesn't help things. You gotta consult Vice on that .. but you guys didn't even ask your own party people ? wtf

    Reply

Leave a Comment