In 2025, health remains a top priority, with 79% of New Year's resolutions focused on it. But separating fact from fiction in the world of health and wellness can be challenging. This article delves into the protein obsession, its cultural roots, political connections, and what it reflects about broader changes in our society.
The Protein Fad: A Cultural Phenomenon
The focus on protein has become a prominent trend, with food producers marketing products like ice cream as high in protein. This raises the question: how did protein become such a focal point?
Historical Context
In the past, fat was demonized in the '80s and '90s, followed by a focus on low-carb diets like Atkins and keto in the early 2000s. Protein has emerged as the only macronutrient that has never been vilified, making it a perceived "safe" source of nutrition.
Masculinity and Marketing
Most protein comes from animal sources, associating it with masculinity. Men tend to consume more protein than women, influenced by advertising that promotes meat consumption as "manly". The Burger King commercial "I Am Man," where men reject tofu for Whopper beef, exemplifies this. The commercial features men singing that they were going to wave tofu goodbye and then they all pick up a van and throw it off of a bridge to kind of demonstrate their manliness.
Body Image and Social Media
Social media plays a significant role, where health is often measured by aesthetics rather than less visible indicators. Building muscle through high protein intake is more visually apparent than the benefits of fiber intake. Male body image has been deeply affected by Marvel movies, which consistently feature physiques that require constant exercise, super-restrictive diets and, at times, even severe dehydration.
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Protein and Politics: An Unlikely Connection
The protein obsession has even seeped into the political arena, particularly within conservative circles.
The Alt-Right and White Nationalism
Some see a connection between protein consumption and alt-right ideologies. The Raw Egg Nationalist, an anonymous social media personality, promotes raw eggs as the perfect food and protein source, linking it to the idea of white men having strong, healthy bodies to fight globalism. Milk has also been used as a symbol by alt-right figures, representing their belief system.
Conservative Rhetoric
Right-wing politicians have incorporated meat consumption into their culture war narratives. Marjorie Taylor Greene has made nonsensical claims about the government targeting people who eat cheeseburgers, tapping into the emotional connection people have with meat. The iconography around meat or cattle or livestock is very baked into a lot of American iconography.
The Search for Health and Wellness
The protein kick reflects a broader anxiety about the "right" way to eat, fueled by distrust in food regulators and companies.
Distrust in the Food System
Many people feel wronged or duped by American food regulators and food companies and are searching for some way to fix that. The industrial food system has caused a lot of harm, leading individuals to seek alternative diets in pursuit of better health.
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Health Anxiety and the Medical System
Anxiety around health is heightened due to the structure of the medical system, where getting sick can be financially devastating. Staying healthy seems more important than ever in this environment.
The Mediterranean and DASH Diets: Sensible Approaches
The Mediterranean diet, emphasizing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, and lean protein, is consistently ranked among the best for overall health. Similarly, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet promotes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy to prevent high blood pressure. Good diets tend to have a lot in common. The building blocks of both DASH and Mediterranean are fruits, veggies, whole grains. They also allow for moderate amounts of eggs, poultry and dairy. And both recommend taking it easy on sweets, sugary drinks and red meat.
Keto and Paleo: Extreme Diets Under Scrutiny
The keto diet, which emphasizes fat burning by slashing carbs, has gained popularity for quick weight loss. However, it ranks low on overall health due to its restrictive nature and potential environmental impact. The paleo diet, based on the premise of eating like cavemen, is also criticized for being impractical and unsustainable.
Plant-Based Eating and Gut Health
A recent study in the journal Nature Microbiology found that the more plant-based food people ate, the more gut bacteria they had that are linked with better health - so things like less inflammation and a stronger immune system. The key seemed to be that they were eating a wide variety of plant-based foods in large quantities. So it was both the variety and the amount of plant-based foods that made for a healthy gut microbiome, regardless of whether they were vegans or meat eaters. Different microbes need different fibers to do their thing. Hannah Holscher is a microbiome researcher at the University of Illinois, and she's also a registered dietitian. And she told me, like, the results of this study really reinforce the nutrition advice that dietitians love to give and something I tell my kids all the time, which is to eat the rainbow. Meaning lots of different types of colorful plant foods. Think tomatoes, butternut squash, pineapple, avocado, broccoli and kale, blueberries and eggplant.
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