Meet the meatfluencers

Shirtless influencers on TikTok and Instagram have acquired millions of followers promoting the carnivore diet. They say studies linking meat consumption and heart disease are flawed — and plant foods are making people sick. "Western medicine is lying to you," says content-creator Dr. Paul Saladino, who co-owns a company selling desiccated cattle organs. The online popularity of the carnivore diet is undeniable. Yet, no controlled studies have been published confirming its advertised benefits.  Our friends at WBUR’s podcast Endless Thread look at how social media cooked up the anti-establishment wellness trend.   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter (it’s free!). Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook.   LINKS "Red Shift" (The New Yorker) "The 'You’re doing it wrong'-ification of TikTok" (Vox) "The Evolution of Diet" (National Geographic) "Your Questions About Food and Climate Change, Answered" (New York Times) "Against Meatposting" (Heated) Endless Thread's unedited interview with Dr. Paul Saladino (WBUR)   CREDITS Outside/In Host: Nate Hegyi Outside/In Executive producer: Taylor Quimby Rebecca Lavoie is NHPR’s Director of On-Demand Audio This episode of Endless Thread was written and produced by Dean Russell and Ben Brock Johnson.  Mix and sound design by Emily Jankowski. Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio Endless Thread is a production of WBUR in Boston.  Submit a question to the “Outside/Inbox.” We answer queries about the natural world, climate change, sustainability, and human evolution. You can send a voice memo to [email protected] or leave a message on our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices