Kicking off 2025, women around the country set goals for their eating habits and fitness journeys. As the new year took shape, an increasing number of fitness gurus began posting on social media about optimizing and increasing protein intake, centering every meal around protein. This influence reached 71% of Americans, prompting the majority population in America to prioritize their protein intake in the new year.
Market products like Starbucks drinks, Thomas’ bagels, and even KhloĂ© Kardashian’s Khloud popcorn have taken advantage of this market interest in protein products. By labeling processed products with the word “protein,” gymgoers are enticed, and many immediately identify such products as “healthy.” This craze has taken social media by storm, so the question is: Is it really healthy, or is it just another damaging diet fad?
The history of diet fads
Social media has seen innumerable damaging diet fads, from the detox diet to Tumblr’s restrictive eating, damaging many young girls’ relationships with food as a result. In a time of change and growth, teens are especially vulnerable to developing body image issues, fueled by their use of social media.
Instead of focusing on balance, social media often promotes diets that aren’t sustainable, leading to health and body image issues down the road. So, where does that leave the protein-focused diet?
Protein, Good or bad?
Protein is undoubtedly essential to fueling the human body. Focusing on a high-protein diet can increase overall muscle mass in the body, lower blood pressure, help the body repair itself after injury, and help the body stay limber as it ages.
However, the bulk of the “advantages” of a high-protein diet focus on reducing appetite, hunger, cravings, the desire to snack, and boosting metabolism. While these benefits can be helpful for adults attempting to lose a healthy amount of weight, a high-protein diet for teens can quickly turn into an obsession with weight loss and exclusively protein-based eating.Â
Dietitian Kim Lindsay makes the assertion that it’s all about balance. Exclusively following a high-protein diet can lead to the demonization of carbohydrates. Without carbohydrates, consumers are likely to consume less fiber and more processed foods. Incorporating fiber into a nutrition plan can improve heart health and prevent some cancers, but it is greatly overlooked in high-protein diets. In fact, with too much protein and not enough fiber, the human body can have an excess of amino acids, which can lead to digestive issues.Â
In addition to this, rates of colon cancer have been increasing in younger generations at a concerning speed. Haddon Pantel, a colorectal surgeon at the Yale University School of Medicine, shared that “we are seeing a clear uptick in colorectal cancer in younger generations.” Among other factors, low fiber intake in Gen Z and Millennials has been an alarming contributor to this troubling phenomenon. This underscores the importance of a balanced diet, not just focusing on protein, but on the consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.
Balance, balance, balance!
Coming from someone who loves exercising and focusing on clean eating, the social media fitness culture can be an experience of learning and growth. Finding an outlet in fitness has been a mindful escape for me, allowing me to manage the stress of college life. Not only that, but getting to experiment with new recipes and healthy foods adds excitement to my daily routine.
However, it is alarmingly easy to get consumed by fitness culture, leading many down an unhealthy road of obsession with clean eating and comparing oneself to others. This affirms the importance of healing relationships with exercise and dieting before immersing oneself in social media fitness culture.
As for the high-protein diet, it isn’t all bad — but without the proper education, young and developing minds are left vulnerable to protein fixation, leading to an unbalanced diet. Exclusively focusing on one macronutrient instead of a healthy balance of all of them can damage both the body and the mind. So, enjoy your Chocolate Cream Protein Cold Brew (because I love it too!), but remember that protein isn’t the complete narrative to a healthy body. It’s all about balance!Â