Episode Transcript
[00:00:07] Welcome to Queers Against Diet Culture, the podcast where we unlearn toxic food rules and reclaim our bodies. I'm Riah a queer anti diet coach and your guide to healing your relationship with food and your body in a world that profits off our self hate. We're not here to shrink, we're here to take up space. So let's get into it.
[00:00:28] Welcome back everybody.
[00:00:30] Today's topic is something that is a little touchy, but I guess most of the topics that we talk about are.
[00:00:39] But it's also something that gets talked about constantly. At least I know in my day to day life that the topic of protein comes up all the time. And I know that I'm not ever the one that brings it up. It's almost always somebody else. But nobody's talking about why it gets talked about so often. What is the obsession with protein?
[00:01:09] And I know the title of this episode is what's America's Protein Obsession really About?
[00:01:15] But honestly, this isn't just spilling specific to America. It is extremely common in the US But I know it's a problem in many other countries as well.
[00:01:28] So the reality is, is that none of this was ever actually about health. Just like pretty much everything else, the protein obsession has always been about control. So before getting too far into it, I want to talk about the tarot card that I pulled.
[00:01:44] And the card that I pulled for this episode is the three of pentacles reversed.
[00:01:50] And when you get this card upright, it's all about collaboration and building something together.
[00:01:58] But when you get it in reverse, it's a disruption of that energy.
[00:02:03] The collaboration starts to break down.
[00:02:08] What was once presented as expert knowledge starts. Starts to look like it might be serving someone else's interest more than yours.
[00:02:18] And it's asking you to question who built these structures and who's actually benefiting from it. And that's exactly what we're talking about in this episode about protein culture. We're going to be questioning the structure of it, who built it, who it was built for.
[00:02:39] So keep all that in mind as we move through today's episode.
[00:02:46] So let's talk about how we got to this point, going all the way back to the beginning. So protein was discovered in 1838 and it was named protein after the word proteos, which means of prime importance.
[00:03:03] So from the moment that it was discovered, it was instantly elevated above all other forms of nutrients.
[00:03:10] And it wasn't because it actually was the most important nutrient. It was simply framed this way. It wasn't scientific discovery. It was scientific framing.
[00:03:22] All of the earliest researchers were white European men, specifically studying other white European men, but particularly laborers, and how much protein they needed in order to stay productive.
[00:03:38] And because meat has such a high level of protein, protein became synonymous with eating meat and being strong, which made you more productive and more morally worthy because you were able to contribute more to society. People that ate primarily plants were seen as uncivilized, and they were framed as having a nutritional deficiency.
[00:04:00] These ideas were brought over to America, and then by the late 19th and early 20th centuries, meat consumption became tied to American identity. You see this in the four food groups model, which came out in 1956, which was heavily influenced by meat and dairy industries and put animal products as the most important food groups to consume.
[00:04:25] And in the 70s, bodybuilding becomes mainstream with the documentary Pumping Iron coming out and Arnold Schwarzenegger becoming a cultural icon.
[00:04:36] Bodybuilding always called for extreme eating protocols and extreme beauty ideals, but their eating protocols became repackaged as everyday health advice, which is ultimately where we get our modern protein obsession.
[00:04:52] Right around that time is when diet culture and capitalism swoop in with the supplement industry.
[00:04:59] The industry created a problem by telling you that you're not getting enough protein so that they can sell you the solution. Protein powders, protein bars, things like that.
[00:05:11] And this is a foundational move of diet culture manufacture inadequacy so they can sell you the remedy. The protein supplement industry is a $30 billion industry as of 2025, and it's expected to continue rising. The only way that this industry survives is by keeping you anxious about your protein intake.
[00:05:35] It markets through both fear and aspiration simultaneously. But either way, it's just diet culture acting like it's wellness.
[00:05:45] Every iteration of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans involves significant lobbying from the meat, dairy, egg and supplement industries.
[00:05:55] And research that challenges high animal protein consumption, of which there is some substantial peer reviewed evidence, has historically been downplayed or even omitted completely from official recommendations.
[00:06:11] Scientists that are on the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee have repeatedly noted that their recommendations were watered down before being published as policy, which basically this means that dietary guidelines are influenced and they're not just based purely on science.
[00:06:29] It's usually about the money.
[00:06:31] So take with that what you will, But I want to look at the other side of the coin with this, because we can't talk about the protein obsession without talking about what we displaced, which is carbs.
[00:06:45] The low carb movement and the high protein movement are the same thing. They're different sides of the same coin. There's different diets like Atkins, keto and other high fat, low carb diets that consider carbs to be the enemy.
[00:07:02] But the reality is our human brains run on glucose. Carbs are our body's preferred fuel source.
[00:07:11] But what ultimately makes the carb demonization worse is that it's demonizing staple foods of communities of color and working class communities.
[00:07:21] Rice, tortillas, bread, plantains, potatoes. They're all very nutritionally dense and they're also linked to a lot of different cultures. This isn't accidental. It's tangled up with race and class politics, which we'll talk more about this later.
[00:07:41] Protein culture is also severely gendered and tangled up with patriarchy and the gender binary.
[00:07:48] Eating meat and lots of protein is synonymous with being strong and having power and having a level of physical dominance which lower protein foods are considered to be delicate and feminine and foods for smaller bodies. This binary maps directly onto patriarchal values. To be masculine is to be active and productive and strong, while to be feminine is to be passive and decorative and restrained. This plays out in both fascinating and very damaging ways.
[00:08:25] Men are told that they need to eat a lot of protein to bulk up, to perform masculinity through their physical size and their strength, while women are encouraged to eat protein for weight loss. These are both forms of control, just in different directions. So for trans non binary and gender non conforming people, the relationship with protein and eating in general becomes distressing. Eating choices become a gender performance, which means they become survival strategies, which means they carry enormous emotional weight that has nothing to do with nutrition.
[00:09:07] We also can't talk about the modern protein obsession without talking about fatphobia.
[00:09:13] Protein is used for either bulking up or shrinking down and losing weight, but either way it's towards moving away from being fat.
[00:09:22] The obsession with eating so much protein comes from the fear of becoming fat.
[00:09:29] This ideal is also deeply racialized. The toned body aesthetic in mainstream fitness culture has historically centered white able bodied physiques. For example, black women's bodies have simultaneously been fetishized for having curves, while also penalized for not conforming to a lean ideal. Fat bodies, disabled bodies, aging bodies, chronically ill bodies, they're all simply absent from mainstream protein and fitness marketing, except for when they're used as the before images.
[00:10:06] So let's talk about what your body actually needs. And I want to be clear here that this is not a protein is bad conversation, because protein matters. Genuinely, it is very important.
[00:10:19] Protein is made up of amino acids which are used by the body for building and repairing tissue, producing enzymes and hormones. Supporting immune function and transporting molecules through the bloodstream. But like I said, carbs are the body's preferred fuel source, and people need way less protein than what is culturally promoted.
[00:10:42] The Recommended dietary allowance is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, which is already higher than what many independent researchers consider to be necessary. But if you are going based off of that, those numbers are easily achievable without tracking, without following a specialized diet or taking supplements.
[00:11:05] Yet fitness influencers and supplement marketing recommend two to three times that amount. And yes, athletes and strength trainers do need more protein than the average person, but still not nearly as much as they think they do. Which we'll talk about why too much protein is bad in a second. But first I want to talk about is it even possible to become protein deficient?
[00:11:31] It is almost impossible to be protein deficient if you're eating enough food.
[00:11:38] True protein deficiency comes from situations of food scarcity and famine and extreme levels of poverty, not from your food choices.
[00:11:50] Broccoli, oats, potatoes, even fruit, all forms of plants have some level of protein.
[00:11:58] If you're eating enough food, if you're eating enough calories, you cannot become protein deficient.
[00:12:04] So the anxiety around this is completely manufactured.
[00:12:10] And there are some genuine exceptions worth naming here. Elderly people that have low appetites and reduced absorption, people recovering from major surgery or severe illness, people with metabolic conditions.
[00:12:26] These are real clinical situations that warrant individualized care.
[00:12:32] When my dad was going through chemo and radiation, he couldn't stomach pretty much any type of food. The only thing that he could handle was a certain brand of pre made protein shakes. I don't know what brand it was. It was the only thing that he could keep down. And for that I am so, so grateful that those exist.
[00:12:52] But these situations are not the audience that's being targeted by protein supplement marketing.
[00:12:59] And it's also not who I'm talking about today.
[00:13:03] But let's go back to what happens when you eat too much protein. Because this is one of the most under discussed aspects of protein culture, More is not inherently better.
[00:13:17] First, starting with your kidneys and liver, they both play a vital role in filtering waste and detoxing in your body.
[00:13:25] When protein intake is consistently high, the kidneys and liver have to work significantly harder to get rid of the excess.
[00:13:34] And studies have shown that even in healthy people, chronically high protein intake causes the kidneys and liver to have to work at an elevated capacity. And over time it contributes to reduced function of the kidneys and liver. So this is not theoretical. It's actually documented in clinical, clinical literature.
[00:13:56] Consistently high levels of protein, especially when it comes from animals, also decreases bone density and it can lead to osteoporosis, which is ironic, but also extremely relevant because osteoporosis is framed as something that you can prevent with high levels of protein and high levels of calcium, and then not to mention the cardiovascular risk that comes from eating too much animal protein.
[00:14:25] But there's also the fact that heavy metals have been found in protein supplements like lead, cadmium and arsenic. Protein supplements are under regulated and they don't require proof of safety or efficacy before selling. The FDA only intervenes once the harm's already been done.
[00:14:46] But that's just the physical stuff. There's a whole other layer of harm here that has nothing to do with physical health and everything to do with what the obsession does to your relationship with food.
[00:15:01] And here I'm talking about orthorexia, which is an obsession with eating healthy and clean eating. Even if you're not specifically dieting, it's still following strict food rules.
[00:15:14] And this is an eating disorder, though. True, just saying that is controversial, but it so often gets missed because these behaviors are socially rewarded. It's framed as discipline and optimization rather than obsession. And it's extremely common in fitness culture.
[00:15:35] Macro tracking is a normalized level of food surveillance that would otherwise be recognized as disordered in any other context.
[00:15:43] Protein obsession is one of the most common entry points of orthorexia, and while this can affect anyone, there are communities who carry a disproportionate weight of all of this. And I want to make sure we talk about that, starting with our own.
[00:16:00] Queer folks are especially at risk for orthorexia. Food control is already tangled with gender and trauma and survival.
[00:16:10] So let's get specific with it, starting with gay men. In gay male culture, muscularity is eroticized and socially rewarded, which creates pressure to engage in high protein and high intensity fitness regimes, which can ultimately lead to disordered eating.
[00:16:30] And bear culture emerged partially as a rejection of this, but it still has its own complicated relationship with body ideals.
[00:16:40] And femme lesbians have similar expectations to cis straight women, even if they reject heteronormativity, there's still an expectation to maintain a small, dainty, like toned level of femininity.
[00:16:57] And on the other side, butch and masc lesbians have similar expectations to cis men. Again, this is even if they reject heteronormativity, there's these expectations that they have to be stronger and larger than femmes while still not being allowed to be fat. So people that are non binary and gender fluid may find themselves navigating between these two sets of pressure simultaneously. And for a lot of trans folks, the relationship with protein can get really tangled up with gender affirmation. Protein intake as a way of supporting muscle building is something that gets discussed a lot in trans mass communities. Sometimes in ways that are genuinely supportive of people's goals, and sometimes in ways that replicate harmful diet culture dynamics just under the guise of transition support. There are entire online communities dedicated to trans fitness that carry all the same orthorexia risks as mainstream fitness culture, but with higher stakes because gender dysphoria adds extra layers to it. And on the other side, trans femmes navigating weight and body composition changes during HRT often receive contradictory advice about protein intake, while also being dismissed or misinformed by healthcare providers who usually have no training in trans health or nutrition.
[00:18:21] So all of this is to say that queer people are not immune to protein culture or diet culture, even though it wasn't made for us. It just adds complicated layers and fat people are put in a particularly cruel position when it comes to protein culture.
[00:18:38] Being told to simultaneously eat more protein, but to also eat less, while also being told that their bodies are evidence of personal failure, which it's not. Protein culture, like all of diet culture, treats fat bodies as a problem to be solved rather than bodies to be nourished.
[00:18:58] High protein diets are marketed to fat people as a weight loss tool and this marketing conveniently ignores the weight that people inevitably gain back after following crash diets. It also doesn't talk about the health risks of weight cycling and yo yo dieting. No diet has ever been shown to produce long term weight loss for the majority of the people who try it. Yet diets just keep getting pushed onto people and just to loop back around to race. The racism in protein culture operates on a few different levels that are all connected to each other.
[00:19:36] We already talked about the science and the research around white European and American bodies declaring their eating habits as the universal standard. And they also looked at cultures that ate primarily plants like South Asian, East Asian, West African, indigenous Latin America and declared those diets as deficient even though they were perfectly healthy.
[00:20:01] This was used as a way to justify colonial food interventions trying to fix their nutrition by promoting animal agriculture and foods that served Western economic interests, which is ultimately used to try to erase their culture.
[00:20:17] This ultimately shaped American policy and made animal protein a non negotiable and plant forward eating seen as a deficiency, which is a myth that still persists today. But once science and the wellness industry started to catch up a little bit, these foods were suddenly stripped of their cultural context and then marked up to three times the price. I'm talking tempeh, edamame, lentil pasta, stuff like that. And now the cultures that have eaten these foods for generations can no longer afford them. Which brings us all back around to the carb demonization as well, which we know by now is not random. Rice, tortillas, breads, plantains, yams. They're the backbones of many cultures. And this demonization rips people away from their cultures. So it was never about nutrition. It was always about power.
[00:21:16] Yet the myth that carbs and plant foods are bad persists, partially because dismantling it would require acknowledging how much racism shaped nutritional science.
[00:21:29] But now that we know all the background of this and who gets affected by it, let's talk about some tools and mindset shifts that you can take away from this.
[00:21:41] So the first one is noticing the assumptions underneath the questions.
[00:21:47] When you ask yourself, am I getting enough protein? It automatically assumes deficiency as a baseline. It assumes that your body can't be trusted, it assumes that tracking is necessary, and it assumes that someone else knows better than I do about my own body.
[00:22:09] Then you can do an audit of who profits from me believing this way. Particularly when you come across protein content online, pause and ask, is this sponsored? What is this person's credentials? What are they trying to sell? Whether that's directly or indirectly, and who profits off of me believing that I'm deficient.
[00:22:33] And notice how it makes you feel, whether that's anxious or inadequate or urgently in need of something new to buy.
[00:22:44] That's not accidental. That emotional response is engineered.
[00:22:49] Recognizing it is the beginning of not being controlled by it.
[00:22:54] The next one is a variety check in. So instead of tracking how many grams of protein or how many grams of whatever, ask yourself, did I eat across different food categories. Legumes, grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds. That's a far more meaningful question than whether you hit a specific number and the next one is permission language. When you catch yourself thinking, this doesn't have enough protein, or oh, it's too many carbs, try replacing it with this. Food offers me blank maybe pasta offers you comfort, or fruit offers you sweetness and hydration.
[00:23:40] It's slow and it's very unsexy work, but it genuinely rewires the relationship over time.
[00:23:48] And for queer folks specifically, if your relationship with protein is tangled up with gender affirmation, that's real and very valid. The work isn't about abandoning your goals. It's about asking whether the rules you're following come from your own values or from some external script about what your body should look like.
[00:24:12] There's no objectively correct amount of protein for a trans body, just like there's no correct body for a trans person.
[00:24:20] Remember, curiosity over compliance. Always.
[00:24:26] And with that, I want to leave you with a quick journal prompt, which is what kind of body have I been told protein will help me achieve?
[00:24:35] Is that actually what I want? Or have I been taught to want it?
[00:24:40] All right, that's all I have for you guys for this episode. So this week I just want you guys to notice, count how many times protein comes up. Whether that's in your thoughts, it's on social media, it's in conversations, anything. You don't need to change anything yet.
[00:25:00] Just being aware is a form of resistance.
[00:25:08] Thanks for listening to this week's episode of Queers Against Diet Culture. Don't forget to rate, subscribe and share this podcast until next time. Remember, carbs are not the enemy, and neither is your beautiful body. See you next week.
