Harare — HUNDREDS of Zimbabwean women might be putting their health at risk after being conned into buying imported "bodybuilding" tablets, under the mistaken belief that they could make their bodies more appealing.

The tablets -- popularly known as Apetitos and Roc 11 -- are imported from Zambia and are being sold clandestinely mainly in beauty parlours, hair salons and flea markets.

Mupedzanhamo Flea Market in Mbare and Machipisa Shopping Centre are the major outlets in Harare.

Scores of teenage and middle-aged women are rushing for the drugs which the sellers claim enhance the shape of their breasts, hips and buttocks.

However, investigations by The Herald on the chemical composition of Apetitos and its sister drugs like Apectine, Supa Apeti, Mega Apeti, revealed that none of them live up to the billing.

Following the euphoria gripping the city, over the "wonder drugs", Dr Hove of the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe analysed the drug contents and immediately dismissed the tablets as "dangerous and not in any way meant to enhance one's body structure and stature".

"There are two major ingredients, one is for pain-killing and the other is for the relief of hypersensitivity reaction and skin disorders," she said.

Dr Hove said the only body enhancing tablet she was aware of was Periactin, but it was no longer locally manufactured.

"It is a pity that Zimbabwean women have gone this far to look appealing but this is quite a dangerous way of beautifying themselves," she said.

She added that the tablets had dangerous side effects and should be bought only with a doctor's prescription and not over the counter or in dark alleys.

"Prolonged use of these tablets may result in confusion, urinary retention, blurred vision, sedation, dry mouth and gastrointestinal disturbances and they should not be taken lightly," she said.

The authority, she said, would clamp down on those selling the illicit drugs.

"They would be charged for selling unregistered medicines which is in contravention of the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act. They would also be charged with selling medicines from unregistered premises," Dr Hove added.

A chemist with the School of Pharmacy at the University of Zimbabwe, who cannot be named for professional reasons, was of the same view, adding that the major component of the tablets, Cyproheptadine Hydrochloride, had absolutely nothing to do with boosting one's breasts, buttocks or hips.

"The tablet's major components only relieves hypersensitivity reactions and pruritic skin disorders and have nothing to do with enhancing any part of the human anatomy. The rest of the ingredients are for different ailments, totally unrelated to each other.

"People are just making wild claims about these tablets and powders and should consider their side-effects before taking them," he said.

The Herald this week visited Mupedzanhamo Flea Market and Machipisa Shopping Centre where the tablets were being peddled in broad daylight.

The prices ranged from $7 000 to $10 000.

Like most medicines, the tablets are taken orally. But for the best results, the sellers recommend that they be inserted into the rectum.

"For better effects one simply has to insert one tablet into the rectum at the same time take one tablet twice a day orally and the results will be noticed within a few weeks," said one vendor who identified herself as Amai Matwins at Mupedzanhamo in Mbare.

"This drug has helped so many women gain shape and some of them now have attractive breasts, hips and buttocks," she said, adding that she was living proof of the drug's potency.

"Amai Matwins" said she lost several kilogrammes after spending a long time in South Africa last year, leading many people to suspect she was HIV positive. But after a few months on the drug she had put on weight.

"I have since stopped taking the pills because I was afraid I would become overweight. I only took four packets of the tablets and regained my lost weight.

She went on: "Most of those heavily built ladies with big hips that you see in this flea market are taking these tablets. Pane vamwe vakarohwa nematsotsi vatinotoziva vanoashandisa ende haumbovafungira kuti zvigulani (Then there are those suffering from Aids right here in this flea market, but if you were to see them, you would never believe they were on death row)," she added.

Unlike at Mupedzanhamo Flea Market where the tablets are traded in the open like tomatoes, the situation is different at Machipisa where they are sold under cover like mbanje.

The customer pays for the "wonder drug" and waits for its delivery by a "courier".

A hairdresser at Ebony Hair and Beauty Salon at the shopping centre, who only identified herself as Blessing, said despite police patrols to curb the sale of the tablets and banned skin lighteners, there was a roaring trade in both the tablets and powder.

"Now that people are beginning to know and appreciate the tablets, we are having more customers each day," she said.

Teenagers were said to be among the major clients.

She added that business was brisk and that prices went up when the tablets were in short supply.

Despite the elation that the tablets and powder have created, most users are not aware of the dangers of using these products although the vendors insisted there had so far been no reports of side-effects.

"We haven't come across anyone who has been adversely affected by the tablets. The only cases that we have heard were those of Roc 11 powder that causes obesity and stomach disturbances," said a vendor at Mupedzanhamo, who gave his name as Anthony.

According to Anthony, the powder is dissolved in warm water and should only be taken once a day. He added that the powder was more efficient than the tablets which explains why it was selling at $20 000 for a 200g container.

A snap survey also revealed that gay men are also joining the bandwagon in a bid to "look good" for their partners or prospective suitors.