Protein trend among teens raises health and eating-disorder concerns

A new social media trend, especially on TikTok, is pushing teenagers to dramatically increase protein intake in hopes of getting leaner, building muscle, or improving appearance. Examples include pizza made on a tuna base and omelets made only from eggs. Nutrition experts say protein is essential for growth and development, especially for active teens, but warn that the trend can lead to unbalanced diets and a harmful relationship with food.

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

Schneider says the larger problem is not only excess protein but also the low-carb dieting that often comes with it. Teen bodies need carbohydrates as their main energy source, she says, and cutting them sharply can cause the body to burn protein for energy instead of using it for muscle building and growth. In the short term, excessive protein consumption can cause nausea, diarrhea and metabolic strain, while in the long term it may burden kidney function in people with kidney problems and crowd out vegetables, fruit and healthy fats, creating nutritional gaps.

She also warns that rigid food plans built around counting grams of protein can become psychologically harmful. Such diets can lead to obsessive thinking about food, weighing and measuring, anxiety around meals, guilt, and in some cases a higher risk of eating disorders and body-image damage. Schneider says family meals can help parents model balanced eating and spot worrying changes early. Her bottom line is that protein matters, but it is not a magic fix, and real health comes from a varied, balanced diet rather than extreme trends.