By James Caldwell, PWTorch columnist

The debate over use of steroids and performance-enhancing drugs in sports and society is the focus of Chris Bell's recent documentary, "Bigger, Stronger, Faster." In an interview with John Cena, Bell says his goal was not to take a stance and tell the audience what to think, but rather present as much information to stir a debate.

"I just said I'm not going to take a stance because I'm still confused about the issue itself and that bothers me every day," Bell told Cena in an interview on WWE's website. "I wanted to lead the film down the middle. I want the audience to decide what they think at the end. I think that was the most positive thing the critics said about the film."

One of the classic debate topics is the perception of steroid use, which Bell says has been used in positive ways for burn victims, but in negative ways by recreational bodybuilders who simply want to look bigger and stronger.

"My theory on steroids is very simple: I look into the drugs," Bell said. "I look into all the side effects of the drugs from a health standpoint. I don't think they're as dangerous as the media makes them out to be, but at the same time, it says something about our culture and about how we're brought up and the way we feel about ourselves, when you have to rely on a drug to feel good about yourself. I think that's the detriment of anabolic steroids."

The long-term side-effects need to be studied more, Bell adds, but the key is that professional athletes are restricted from using growth hormone and testosterone for therapeutic reasons, while everyday people are given that option.

Bell points to John Cena's neck injury as an example of Cena not being able to approach an anti-aging doctor to look into therapeutic healing using hormones even though that would be the fastest way to recover. "You have athletes with on-the-job injuries that you're not allowed to treat with certain drugs that other people are allowed to get that treatment," Bell said. "I think in the future you're going to see baseball players, football players, whoever, get therapeutic exemptions for use in certain instances."

One of the positives Bell has noticed in the time since he released the film is the amount of attention from the FDA to the supplement industry. Bell had one scene in the movie where he started his own supplement company in a matter of hours to show how easy it is to push illegal supplements on the market.

"Congressmen have been taking a look at it, and I think there will be crackdowns in the dietary supplement industry," Bell said. "I don't want supplements to go away, I just want to know that what I'm taking is what I'm taking and I want to know why I'm taking it."

According to Bell, reaction to the movie, which is now out on DVD, has been positive everywhere he's gone to stir debate on the topics in the movie. He even sent a copy to Vince McMahon for his opinion and he was surprised to receive a phone call from McMahon, who told him, "'Chris, you did an amazing job.'"

Caldwell's Analysis: There is so much more covered in parts 1 and 2 of the Cena-Bell interview on WWE's website. But, the highpoints of the interview are consistent with the theme of Bell's documentary. Why do athletes and everyday people strive for an edge at all costs? In the movie, Bell points to several different aspects of the U.S. culture where people try to justify bending the law to achieve an edge - whether it's sports, music, being a fighter pilot, etc.

The problem that we will face is that research on the long-term effects of excessive steroid use for recreational purposes or for therapeutic healing of injuries is not available. If John Cena were to implement a testosterone-based healing program for his neck injury that Bell suggests, would that lead to long-term negative effects on Cena in 5, 10, or 20 years? The answer isn't clear.

What is clear is that athletes and everyday people have certain moral and legal regulations in front of them when deciding how to gain an edge in life. Bell's documentary really tackles those issues in society and challenges viewers to consider how they are treating their bodies and for what purpose.

FYI: Part 1 and Part 2 of Cena's one-on-one interview with Bell.

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