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?
You must log in or register to comment.
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.
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?
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 health 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.
this all went down about three years ago
Around the same time GLP-1s entered the scene. Could be a coincidence, but it seems to me that people in general (including people who are themselves obese) are less accepting of bodies now that GLP-1s are available.
Considering everyone is in their own echo chamber, I’d say it’s pretty easy to miss things.
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”
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.
Not just America, that protein marketing fad is aimed at gym bro idiots worldwide.
as a vegan I get asked constantly where I get my protein from.
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.
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?
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.
i think its the anti fat messaging, and sugar messaging going on.
In Poland we also have this. A lot of products of have a huge infromarion how much protein it has or comercials in big cities with a new prootein products
Because every time they try to eat something, it’s recalled.
Influencer slop. That’s literally 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?
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.
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.
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 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 Mask’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, outlined by Vice here
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.