Protein Trend Among Teens Raises Health and Eating-Disorder Concerns

A new social media trend, especially on TikTok, is pushing teenagers to sharply increase protein intake, with examples including tuna-based pizza and egg-only omelets, in hopes of becoming leaner, building muscle, or improving appearance. The article says experts warn that the craze can lead to unbalanced eating and a harmful relationship with food.

Olga Schneider, a dietitian at Clalit’s Neveh Altit clinic, says protein is essential for growth and normal development, but most adolescents already get enough from everyday meals. She says teens need about 0.85 to 1.55 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, depending on activity level. A 14-year-old weighing 50 kilograms, for example, would need about 42.5 grams daily, an amount she says can easily be reached with two eggs, a portion of chicken and some cheese, without powders, shakes or fortified products.

Schneider warns that the bigger problem is not excess protein alone, but the imbalance that often comes with cutting carbohydrates. Growing bodies need carbs as their main energy source, and when they are reduced too much, the body may burn protein for energy instead of using it for muscle building and growth. In the short term, too much protein with an unbalanced diet can cause nausea, diarrhea and metabolic strain, and over time it may burden kidney function in people who already have kidney problems.

She adds that such diets can push out vegetables, fruit and healthy fats, creating nutritional deficiencies. The rigid focus on counting protein grams can also become psychologically damaging, leading to obsessive thoughts about food, weighing and measuring, anxiety around meals and guilt, and in some cases a higher risk of eating disorders and body-image harm. Schneider says family meals can help parents model balanced eating and spot warning signs early, and she stresses that protein is important but not a miracle solution, while true health comes from varied, balanced nutrition rather than extreme trends.