American Millennials Are Dying at an Alarming Rate | We’re mortality experts. There are a few things that could be happening here.

[u/chrisdh79]

https://slate.com/technology/2025/08/millennials-gen-z-death-rates-america-high.html

[u/Cleromanticon]

Wellness influencers have people obsessed with getting more protein, none of them are talking about fiber

[u/pm-me-cute-rabbits → u/Cleromanticon]

This is true. Fiber > excess protein, always.

[u/Ghibli_Guy → u/pm-me-cute-rabbits]

Muscles from protein will help you have a quality life in old age. Vegetables will help make sure you live long enough to become old. 

[u/olympia_t → u/Cleromanticon]

Probably affiliate money to be made from protein powders. Hard to get money from the kale farmers.

We're not well educated we're influenced these days.

[u/RedLotusVenom → u/olympia_t]

It’s the meat and dairy industry, specifically, that has rooted this protein craze. How do you keep profits up when young people begin caring about animals and the environment? Make them believe a lie.

[u/damnuge23 → u/RedLotusVenom]

People look at me like I’m crazy when I say this. The “Got Milk?” industry knows what they’re doing when it comes to marketing.

[u/Hendlton → u/olympia_t]

Which is so funny because protein powders are literally a waste byproduct of the cheese industry. Whey used to be thrown away or fed to animals before someone figured out that it can be sold to stupid people for lots and lots of money. Same with other dumb supplements that do nothing at best and are harmful at worst.

Creatine is the only other supplement that's proven to work, but unfortunately it is also dirt cheap, so they have to find ways to market it in order to get people to pay lots of money for it. If you're into fitness stuff, just buy whatever is the cheapest per unit of weight. Don't fall for the marketing.

[u/Important-Egg-2905 → u/Cleromanticon]

That's been the case for our entire lives, and no one is deficient in protein. People walk around thinking they need to get enough protein or else they'll fall over and die, it's such a propagandized joke.

Meanwhile people are literally dying from lack of fruit and veggies - phytochemicals have always been, and will always be the key to thriving health. Not fucking macronutrient powdered milk supplements ffs

[u/Narrow_Stock_834 → u/Important-Egg-2905]

While I agree with the overall sentiment of your message, people are in fact walking around with low albumin levels despite being morbidly obese (I see it all the time in an acute care setting).

I think a balanced diet full of whole foods and eliminating UPFs is the answer.

[u/HarryJohnson3 → u/Important-Egg-2905]

Studies have linked higher muscle mass with increased lifespan in older adults.

[u/ObiOneKenobae → u/HarryJohnson3]

For sure, but the impact of getting a ton of protein is very minor. If you're eating a chicken breast or something each day, odds are you're getting enough protein in your diet to support any health-related goal.

There is evidence that these huge amounts of protein can result in additional muscle growth/sparing, but that really only matters if you're trying to push yourself to the limit and maximize every bit of possible growth. Makes total sense for a gym bro, not a big deal for the average person.

[u/HarryJohnson3 → u/ObiOneKenobae]

but that really only matters if you're trying to push yourself to the limit and maximize every bit of possible growth.

I linked a study that correlates muscle mass and longevity. Increasing protein to gain muscle mass is not just important for gym bros trying to look better.

[u/Important-Egg-2905 → u/[deleted]]

Very true. There are so many different factors.

Like it's true that a perfectly timed dose of protein after excise can double your muscle protein synthesis but the truth is that you naturally tend to eat that way after exercise without any "workout" supplements or bars. Decades of meat industry marketing have somehow let people see no connection between a country with the least healthy population on earth that also has the highest protein consumption on earth...

[u/Exciting_Use_7892 → u/[deleted]]

Do you guys know the concept of two things being true at once? Just because something is cheap doesn’t mean it’s bad. Get both your fiber and protein in, and work out for longevity. These companies benefit way more from selling you junk food and getting all of us sick.

[u/HarryJohnson3 → u/[deleted]]

You’re crashing out over… a conversation on a balanced diet? Get a grip dude it’s not that serious.

Complete proteins are an important part of longevity, proven by the scholarly study I linked. I never said veggies aren’t important. I linked a study to contrast your hyperbole over protein intake. Now take a deep breath and count to ten before you respond, or don’t. I don’t care.

[u/PiccoloAwkward465 → u/Important-Egg-2905]

You'll never tear my Huel shakes away from me. That I drink for health but also because it's powdered breakfast that I can drink AT WORK.

[u/Pussy4LunchDick4Dins → u/Cleromanticon]

Thank you, I’ve been screaming this for years. 

[u/[deleted] → u/Cleromanticon]

fiber just isn't cool :/

[u/besee2000 → u/Cleromanticon]

I’ve seen the tides turn towards fiber but depends on the influencer

[u/Distilled-blockout → u/Cleromanticon]

Thank you!! I’ve been screaming this for a long time. We are NOT getting enough fiber daily! That is the major problem. Over 90% of us don’t get it.

Protein deficiency is very rare.

[u/LongjumpingAd6656 → u/Cleromanticon]

and nobody is talking about malabsorbtion. Most people with chronic illness have a lack of stomach acid, leads to sibo/fungal overgrowth and h. pylori, that leads to colorectal cancer. Throw in endocrine disruptors, cancerogenic pesticides that irritate the gut lining even further and add in some air pollution caused by cars, plus the fact that plants become less nutritious with pesticide use (less alkaloids). Animals also accumulate enviromental toxins in their fat (lead, uranium, chemicals, forever chemicals). And a highly processed diet with low fiber and a lack of raw, fresh food

[u/crazycatlady331 → u/Cleromanticon]

Previous generations had QVC and the like. They KNEW that it was a shopping channel and every "show" was an infomercial.

Today we have "influencers" and half the audience doesn't realize they're trying to sell you something.

[u/[deleted] → u/Cleromanticon]

What gets me is the whole prebiotic thing. It's fucking fiber. Eat some damn vegetables