Ask 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.

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.

Ozempic. People on it can't handle sugars and carbs as well.

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

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?

No one eats enough protein. It keeps you sated, and also helps retain and grow muscle if you exercise. For a country everyone calls fat, everyone SHOULD be having more of it.

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.

Influencer slop. That's literally it.

Congratulations, you’ve discovered the nature of advertising.

A while back during the gluten-free craze my laundry detergent proudly had “gluten-free” on the packaging.

EDIT: I learned it’s possible for plant-based detergents to have contact with gluten, so for those with zero tolerance it can be a concern.

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. 😱

Maybe you missed the pendulum swung back hard after the body positivity fad of "healthy at any size" and people yelling about how calories are a lie. this all went down about 3 yrs ago.

Then after the resulting mass of influencer death from heart failures in as young as mid twenties to early thirties we are swung back on the fitness side of things again with a new ferocity involving protien and glp1 now.

We actually just had another fitness epidemic here similar to the 90s but slightly more gym related than outdoor related. Protein powder was HUGE on tiktok shop and fairly big in stores. I happen to be a target of the powder supplement as a medical issue caused me to start my journey in losing over 100lbs in less than a year. I was having overnight oats with extra protein everyday. I have some left but now that I've lost the weight and kept most of the muscle, I'm back on whole foods only, especially for protein.

Edit: if you look it up, theres's a lot written about the "fitness influencer to right wing pipeline"

i think its the anti fat messaging, and sugar messaging going on.

This might need confirming so take it with a grain of salt

I heard because GLP-1 treatments got super cheap in US lately everyone is getting slimmer. So slimming doesn’t seem as a luxury anymore. And because meat quality went down massively and expensive - protein is the new luxury and “bulking up” is the new trend rather than slimming.

Typical American market manipulation.

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.

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.

Not just America, that protein marketing fad is aimed at gym bro idiots worldwide.

people basically listening to influencers about how you need to goto the gym to be considered someone who fits in with society and eating all the protein versions of whatever food you eat.