I only learned about the Liver King a couple of months before it all fell apart. I took one look at him and said, "I'm very sure the guy is on steroids."

If you're old enough to have kids of those ages, then you, like me, are long past male puberty. I weight train and do a lot of sports, so I'm around young guys at the gym who, despite the internet, are still thinking (or convincing themselves) a super-jacked body like the liver king is possible naturally, or with only a little help that won't be dangerous.

I was nearly in that mindset back then but avoided going down that path for various reasons. I was lucky.

The number of young people who are going to have life-long health issues due to fucking up their hormones taking PEDs because they want to look like the liver king makes what he did NOT a victimless crime.

Then there is the whole thing with eating animal products. If you are relatively well-off in a 1st world country (or a 3rd world county with a giant army and film industry like the US) then eating a plant-based diet is cheaper and more nutritious.

No doubt your 17 year old son would need a LOT of plant protein, so maybe for him it would not be cheaper. But definitely possible.