Every food commercial, advertisement, and packaging in the US is currently protein obsessed. I just bought 3 burritos, and the most noticeable thing on the entire package is its protein content. TV commercials about waffles are advertising that they have X amount of protein per serving. The products in my jobsite’s vending machine have protein all over every package.
Did America have a protein thing recently?
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It turns out the answer is realy very long, but it’s a hell of a ride. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K35FtbuyTh4
TLDW:
It’s a right-wing grift. The Leftist Cooks argue that carnivore and “protein-maxxing” diets are not about health; they’re tied to masculinity, control, grift, and far-right politics. They use figures like Jordan Peterson and the Liver King to show how restrictive meat-heavy high protein diets can become symbols of power, identity, and pseudo-scientific authority.The broader argument is food is never just food. Dietary choices can carry cultural meaning, political signaling, and ideological pressure, and that high protein culture is part of a larger ecosystem that can normalize authoritarian, anti-science, and anti-egalitarian thinking.
The video is excellent though. It’s basically a miniseries on the various causes and effects of this and it’s incredibly well put together, even if it is 6 hours long. 😱
Haha I watched this a couple weeks ago.
Another really important point they make is that even among athletes, extra protein intake does not really help. Athletes only have higher protein intake because their overall caloric intake is higher. Studies show that increased protein intake is only associated with higher athletic performance when it is alongside increased intake of other nutrients (carbs). I was looking at a meta analysis a few days ago. I don’t have the link but I took this screenshot.
So a “protein shake” is not likely to help you unless you were already protein deficient, which as somebody else pointed out in this thread, is not likely for Americans who over consume meat.
Disclaimer: I am not an expert.
it really depends on the athlete - for an endurance athlete in particular, you don’t need a crazy amount of protein. Dancers/gymnasts too or really any sport more reliant on cardiovascular endurance or coordination than maximal strength or power.
bodybuilders/powerlifters are on the far other end of that spectrum, they probably have the highest demand for protein intake out of any athlete. The general consensus is the muscle-building benefits of more protein flatten out around 0.8g protein per 1lb body weight. so about 120g of protein for someone who weighs 150lb. You can definitely eat more or less without issue, that’s just roughly the threshold where more protein doesn’t seem to help you athletically.
The nutritional guidelines under RFK’s administration were changed to recommend 1.2-1.6g protein/lb of body weight for EVERY American, which is fucking ridiculous. It is fine to eat the high end of that range, but you have to be very careful to get enough carbs and fats without introducing too much caloric surplus. There is a valid argument that protein tends to keep you satiated longer and eating a lot of it might be good if you’re looking to lose weight. I don’t think it’s a great idea for everyone though, and most Americans get enough protein for their basic needs anyhow.
but you know what’s even better at keeping you satiated that most Americans are actually super deficient in? that’s right fuckin FIBER baby. Protein is just in fashion right now, especially among conservatives, many of whom are meeting this through red meat probably because they think lentils are icky and woke. and we’re god awful at health education so various nutrients get touted as THE THING YOUR BODY DESPERATELY CRAVES or THE THING THAT IS LITERALLY KILLING YOU on a rotating basis. e.g. electrolytes, carbs respectively.
(I can get more specific academic references for the earlier points, but I encountered much of it in Eric Helms’ The Muscle and Strength Pyramid books, which line up with opinions of other credible trainers I’ve encountered. those books are also just a great read on this topic)
Oh, I have another much much shorter video that summarises a meta analysis that backs this up. It says that more proteins may actually even lead to marginally reduced muscle gains. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=j1bx0GMofYw&pp=ugUEEgJlbg%3D%3D
I reread this and your interpretation seems pretty off the mark. Of course you’re going to get more endurance performance from a higher carb diet, carbs are what give you raw energy. Anyone who’s ever done an endurance sport like long distance running knows they load you up on pasta for a reason.
Endurance performance is absolutely not the same as athletic performance, which is far more general. There’s no way high protein diets aren’t beneficial to people who need more raw strength than endurance. This meta analysis does not back up your comment.
I’m not sure which of us misunderstood it, but my interpretation of their findings is that overall, increased protein intake was not associated with increased athletic performance. However if you look ONLY at endurance, it was actually associated with high performance, though only when alongside carbs. Maybe counterintuitive.
Their total sample size was around 300 or 400 iirc. Pretty big, but could be better.
It really depends. If you’re actively working out, you need more protein than most people eat in a day. It doesn’t have to be from meat obviously, but I need to target around 140g and I was no where near that until I changed my diet. There’s plenty of science behind protein ratios for active people without dipping into right wing grifters.
The shake is pretty much a necessity for me since I’m also trying to lose weight. If it weren’t the shake it’d be chicken or fish but that’s a lot of extra cooking.
I came in here to link this video too! Its very good
That’s also why they like AI. Thinking is emasculating, better make a machine that thinks for you instead.
Influencer slop. That’s literally it.
Ozempic. People on it can’t handle sugars and carbs as well.
I think this is the correct answer. A shocking amount of people are on these weight loss drugs. When you are on these medications, you’re given guidelines for a high protein diet. Because these drugs make you lose weight pretty fast. I know several people taking these medications and it’s buy everything high protein because the drugs make you not want to eat at all so you need as much protein as possible when you do.
Because the weight loss comes from muscle first, so Ozempic users MUST eat high protein & lift weights to build/maintain muscle or else their body composition turns into jelly. Ask me how I know 😜
I hope that you’re becoming swole as hell and not turning into jelly in that case.
Yes, pretty much every female at my wife’s work is on it. I still worry that in 10 years we’ll find out there’s some horrible side effect from extended use. I could stand to lose a few myself, but I don’t want to touch the stuff for that reason and the muscle loss mentioned. I lift weights and don’t want to lose any of the gains I’ve made over the last 3 years. If I wanna get lean, I’ll just have to adjust my diet the old fashioned way to a shitload of brown rice, boiled chicken and broccoli.
I buy PROTEIN-packed twinkies to grow humongous MUSCLES so my mom knows that I have SEX with many ladies and I want everyone to rest assured that I am a big HETEROSEXUAL man in my Thunderfalconcougarbird
Why is this place so mentally ill?
Many neckbeards living in moms’ basements are drawn to Lemmy.
One reason is that our dairy industry needs to find a way to sell a gazillion tons of excess whey protein.
Two main things
One is that GLP-1 drugs work really well in curbing appetite to cause weight loss. However, part of that weight loss is muscle mass and that is causing some people on it to be concerned. A way of mitigating that is to eat more protein relative to your diet. The restaurant industry is trying to appeal to these new customers by creating high protein and small portion dishes.
Two is that there are more people who aren’t on these drugs focusing on fitness, specifically lifting and muscle mass. To that that physique, you need to eat a lot of protein relative to the rest of your diet. So restaurants are trying to sell to these people as well.
Reminder: 1 in 8 American’s are on GLP-1 Drugs…
Definitely think the GLP-1s are probably the biggest contributer here
A lot of Americans have been convinced lack of protein is why they keep gaining weight and aren’t muscular. Testosterone is in a similar position. These can be concerns for people who are low in them, or for people struggling at high levels of fitness. But it’s largely just influence from diet influencers repeating gym bro advice.
There’s also a straight line between bro culture, testosterone supplements, and fascism
Only on Lemmy can you find a link between protein powder and fascism
This place is beyond brain fucked 🤣
I’d love to see the link between those cause you seem to be implying high testosterone = bro = fascist and I really hope that’s not what you think.
You don’t have to look far to find the far right’s obsession with testosterone (read: gender affirming care for cis men), whether it’s giving it to the military or Elon Musk’s weird cybertruck shaped body. Then look at who else is pushing that shit nonstop.
Though I did learn there’s a weak study that they like to cite, described by Vice here. Emphasis on weak
I understand, fascist bros (the manosphere basically) push the idea that “weak” men just have low T and by taking more they’ll become “alphas” or whatever. Not that people with high T are more likely to be fascists.
As the article points out repeatedly, that study linking high T with Republican voting (it never mentions fascism) is so flawed as to be useless but I guess that doesn’t matter if chuds aren’t going to read it anyway.
If you need testosterone supplement, it would imply that you have low testosterone to begin with. Or that you just want more. But you are completely changing the meaning by changing “testosterone supplement” to a generalized “high testosterone”.
you seem to be implying high testosterone = bro = fascist
I think it’s more that obsession with testosterone and projected/performative masculinity (i.e. machismo, toxic masculinity) is very much associated with fascist leanings.
There are a whole lot of fat, angry, unhappy middle-aged men who want to feel powerful and intimidating. Most of them don’t want to do the actual work of getting fit. They don’t want to go to a doctor, because that’s for weak people, like women and effeminate men. They don’t understand that their excess adipose tissue is messing up their hormones. Ads tell them that they just need more protein and sunlight on their testicles and finally they’ll feel powerful. They post passive-aggressive meat breakfast photos on Instagram and glare at people from their pickups, while listening to an ad telling them to buy some unregulated supplement that will boost their testosterone for only $29.99 per month.
There are also a bunch of young men who have grown up watching toxic influencers. They’re taking steroids and trying to get huge. It’s all toxic masculinity and masked insecurity.
Incidentally, I’m not in any way saying that fitness or masculinity are inherently toxic or fascist. It is, however, a popular pipeline for recruiting men into far-right and fascist ideologies these days.
I agree with you 100%
It’s the prevalence of drugs like Ozempic. They cause people to eat a negative calorie diet so it’s very important that they keep their protein intake at or above their requirements. If they don’t, they will lose muscle at a dangerous rate.
Pretty sure these drugs are just creating huge heart health problem we’ll see in the future.
i think that might only have a weak correlation, because iirc the “trend” with high protein products started before ozempic became available.
i would say it is only the normal marketing cycle, like how 15-40 years ago it was the phase of low sugar
so i would predict that in 5-10 years we will enter a cycle with maybe high (healthy) fats/low sugar or something similar again
You will also feel like shit without it
This thread rightly points out all the excesses of capital-fueled social trends.
Less mentioned is that a higher protein breakfast ~20-30g vs traditional carb-heavy breakfast is actually helpful for more stable morning energy (less sugar crash), cognitive clarity, and reduced snack cravings especially later in the day. Search any of your reputable health sources and you’ll likely find something to that effect. I don’t believe it’s particularly disputed at this point.
Wait, what about morning pasta, I feel they work fine for me. Should I switch to morning sausages?
Most susages are also high in fat and salt, so I don’t know that eating them every morning would be a healthy switch. I’d feel heavy afterward. They are also high in nitrites, which lead to carcinogens… should be fine if eaten occasionally, or so I tell myself lol.
At the end of the day, it’s whatever works for you. And it’s worth trying different things.
Eggs. If you hate eggs or are allergic to them, then steak or chicken. Traditional breakfast meats (ham, sausage) are full of nitrates. Nothing wrong with that as an occasional treat, but don’t habituate it.
Eggs are just about the perfect morning food. I think they’re the most efficiently absorbed protein, too, when cooked. I make an omelette most days with eggs, a pepper and onion blend, spinach, and some cheese.
Is it because of less carb or high protein? If I eat veggies do I get the same result?
Mostly no, but the mostly is because most vegetables aren’t as high in protein. If you eat protein rich vegetables the effect holds.
Some starches and fiber also have the effect, since metabolism is complicated. I believe potato is quite high on the satiety index, as are apples.Basically it’s that your body just absorbs sugar and doesn’t spend time on it, so it doesn’t satisfy you. Carbs are pretty quick, but depending on the fiber content it can more than make up for it. Your body cherishes fat so it tries to get you to drink it. Protein is useful calories that take a lot of work to rip up, and they occupy space.
An apple and a bowl of lentil curry will fill you up.
Protein takes longer to metabolize into energy than carbs, hence you don’t crash like with carbs. Starchy veggies give you carbs, low-carb veggies don’t have protein or carbs so you’ll just be extra tired.
It’s got what plants crave.
The reason you’re noticing it is because of marketing propaganda. Anyone who sells a product that contains protein wants to highlight that aspect to take advantage of the public mindset who believes protein is an essential part of our diets. And the reason we even believe protein is an essential part of our diet is also because of marketing, even though it might be the case that protein actually is an essential component. The majority of the public would not know this unless they learned of it through the media. Read Propaganda by Edward Bernays. It talks about where this approach began at the beginning of the 20th century.
Marketing told us fat is evil. Carbs are evil. The news has told us Fiber will literally cause us to shit our brains out until we die.
What exactly is left except protein?
Marketing & the obsession of a healthy lifestyle promoted by influencers.
If you want to build muscles you need proteins. => You need proteins to build muscle.
But also if you want to lose weight, you have to reduce carbs and eat more proteins. => Your body needs more energy to break down the proteines and convert it to energy than for carbs and fats=> You feel full longer & “burn” more calories when digesting.
Unfortunately, people don’t realize that fibers are more op than proteins. And just eating proteins how some influencers are promoting is kinda BS for your longterm digestive system. => TLDR eat beans over just meat. Also, look forward to the high fiber fad that is about to be started.
If you’re building muscle, you want your protein to have the right amino acids
Yeah dark leafy greens and lots of beans (with rice). They’re filling, nutritious, low calorie, and once your digestion acclimates you’ll feel great. Also non-fried potatoes are great as well
In the darkness they lurked, until their time to rise once again.
Waiting.
Watching.
Weight Watchers.
I noticed that during the big egg “crisis” where eggs went up to the price we normally pay in the UK. Turns out they were gobbling them up like fucking Gaston for “protein”. I get through maybe half a dozen in a particularly eggy week…
No mention of fibre though. Their arses must be split asunder.
I’m sure some people are chugging eggs for protein but it isn’t the norm and that is not at all what led to eggs being more expensive in the US. It was bird flu outbreaks combined with new regulations in some states coming into effect. In my state everything now has to be “cage free” which came into effect right around the whole egg price spike, but from what I can tell the price spike was mostly due to bird flu
Bird flu is not over either. I usually only buy eggs from hens that can go outside, but for a few years hens weren’t allowed outside because of bird flu.
They don’t eat real fiber. They gobble up all of the sterculia gum which, coincidentally, is now also not available for people who need it for medical reasons worldwide.
Some of us just like deviled eggs.
Is it the usa or is it the big grocery conglomerates? In Canada it’s protein this and protein that. The protein marketing machine is in full force. What say you Europeans?
I have a friend in food marketing in the UK, he moved to a new role as head of Protein at the start of the year. The machine is in full force here too.
Thanks for the input. All the best.
I thought protein was last year and fiber was this year
It goes back and forth. Fiber was also big in the 1990s, and protein big maybe like 2004-2016 because of the Atkins diet trend that ended when it turns out that’s not a great thing to do long term, and doesn’t prevent you blocking your arteries with cholesterol.
We’ve literally had this trend before, recently.
Genuinely, fiber is always important. It’s something we actually don’t get enough of on average. Forget the trends and influencers, just make sure you’re eating plenty of fiber.
