Episode
The Great Protein Fiasco
1:10:51
Published: Tue Aug 31 2021
Description
How Nestlé executives, global health institutions and a very racist white lady seeded a series of nutritional misconceptions we're still living with today. Special thanks to John Nott for helping us out with this episode! Here's his papers on the history of protein and the British Empire.“No one may starve in the British Empire”: Kwashiorkor, Protein and the Politics of Nutrition Between Britain and Africa“How Little Progress”? A Political Economy of Postcolonial NutritionSupport us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreLinks!Cicely Williams’ dissertationDariush Mozaffarian's "History of Modern Nutrition Science"The Incidence Of Protein-Calorie Malnutrition Of Early ChildhoodAn Error of Medicine? Kwashiorkor and the “Protein Gap”Childhood Malnutrition In Developing Nations: Looking Back and Looking ForwardThe Politics of ProteinThe Impact of Colonialism on Health and Health Services in TanzaniaBreast-Milk and the World Protein GapThe Influence of Colonialism on Africa’s Welfare: An Anthropometric StudyFood, Colonialism and the Quantum of HappinessRevisited: Is Subclinical Protein Deficiency A Significant Public Health Concern?Listening to the Ga: Cicely Williams’ Discovery of Kwashiorkor on the Gold Coast“Milking the Third World: Humanitarianism, Capitalism and the Moral Economy of the Nestlé Boycott”The Controversy Over Infant FormulaWar on Want’s “The Baby Killer “75 years of Kwashiorkor In AfricaThe Rise and Fall of Protein Malnutrition in Global HealthSupport the show
Chapters
A discussion about the misuse of health information and harmful fitness trends, including the internet subculture of gym bros who are into fat ladies and the dangers of applying pseudoscientific methods to serious health issues like cancer or contraception.
00:00 - 04:09 (04:09)
Summary
A discussion about the misuse of health information and harmful fitness trends, including the internet subculture of gym bros who are into fat ladies and the dangers of applying pseudoscientific methods to serious health issues like cancer or contraception.
EpisodeThe Great Protein Fiasco
PodcastMaintenance Phase
Cicely Williams was a progressive woman for her time who was interested in nutrition and spent time with poor populations in Africa.
04:09 - 11:51 (07:42)
Summary
Cicely Williams was a progressive woman for her time who was interested in nutrition and spent time with poor populations in Africa. She learned the importance of mothers spending time with their children and promoted it as a way to help in humanitarian concerns.
EpisodeThe Great Protein Fiasco
PodcastMaintenance Phase
The author discusses how historical figures' beliefs and actions are investigated, including the example of Aubrey, and how it may affect their legacy.
11:51 - 16:04 (04:12)
Summary
The author discusses how historical figures' beliefs and actions are investigated, including the example of Aubrey, and how it may affect their legacy.
EpisodeThe Great Protein Fiasco
PodcastMaintenance Phase
The "white savior" mentality perpetuates systems of oppression by giving them a softer edge and making them feel more welcoming to people with privilege.
16:04 - 22:24 (06:20)
Summary
The "white savior" mentality perpetuates systems of oppression by giving them a softer edge and making them feel more welcoming to people with privilege. It is important to not look for heroes in history who are palatable or recognizable, but rather to examine and interrupt systems of oppression.
EpisodeThe Great Protein Fiasco
PodcastMaintenance Phase
The speakers discuss the impact of racism on black and brown communities while also examining a study on rats and protein deficiency.
22:24 - 28:42 (06:17)
Summary
The speakers discuss the impact of racism on black and brown communities while also examining a study on rats and protein deficiency.
EpisodeThe Great Protein Fiasco
PodcastMaintenance Phase
A discussion about the fetish for protein and its role in diet culture, with the realization that the benefits of consuming more protein have been tempered and may not be as definitive as once believed.
28:42 - 32:42 (04:00)
Summary
A discussion about the fetish for protein and its role in diet culture, with the realization that the benefits of consuming more protein have been tempered and may not be as definitive as once believed.
EpisodeThe Great Protein Fiasco
PodcastMaintenance Phase
The pressure to breastfeed has become so strong it's led to a culture of morality around it, causing many mothers to feel ashamed and inadequate if they can't produce enough milk.
32:42 - 40:48 (08:06)
Summary
The pressure to breastfeed has become so strong it's led to a culture of morality around it, causing many mothers to feel ashamed and inadequate if they can't produce enough milk. While science shows it's good for children at an aggregate level, there's no one-size-fits-all for breast milk composition and measurement.
EpisodeThe Great Protein Fiasco
PodcastMaintenance Phase
The CEO of Nestle is criticized in a congressional hearing for the company's unethical practices surrounding baby formula, including promoting its use in developing countries where it is not necessary and extremely expensive.
40:48 - 44:13 (03:24)
Summary
The CEO of Nestle is criticized in a congressional hearing for the company's unethical practices surrounding baby formula, including promoting its use in developing countries where it is not necessary and extremely expensive. One of the instructions for the formula on the packaging is to refrigerate after opening.
EpisodeThe Great Protein Fiasco
PodcastMaintenance Phase
Cicely Williams, a British physician, discovered that infant malnutrition was largely caused by bottle-feeding in mothers and worked to promote breastfeeding in developing countries.
44:13 - 53:28 (09:14)
Summary
Cicely Williams, a British physician, discovered that infant malnutrition was largely caused by bottle-feeding in mothers and worked to promote breastfeeding in developing countries. She faced resistance from Western-centric beliefs that indigenous cultures lacked knowledge and was eventually forced to leave Ghana after fighting against a hospital's policy.
EpisodeThe Great Protein Fiasco
PodcastMaintenance Phase
The belief that formula is better than breast milk for babies was once a widely accepted notion.
53:28 - 1:00:56 (07:28)
Summary
The belief that formula is better than breast milk for babies was once a widely accepted notion. Donald McLaren's research debunked this and questioned the evidence behind the protein deficiency problem.
EpisodeThe Great Protein Fiasco
PodcastMaintenance Phase
In this episode, three experts discuss the historical context of malnutrition, and highlight how international policies and institutions have failed to address the root causes of this issue, often with disastrous consequences.
1:00:56 - 1:06:28 (05:31)
Summary
In this episode, three experts discuss the historical context of malnutrition, and highlight how international policies and institutions have failed to address the root causes of this issue, often with disastrous consequences.
EpisodeThe Great Protein Fiasco
PodcastMaintenance Phase
People living in poverty often lack money for a varied diet to obtain necessary nutrients, but "supercharged staple foods" are often a better solution than fad protein sources like poop algae or crude oil peanut butter.
1:06:28 - 1:10:42 (04:14)
Summary
People living in poverty often lack money for a varied diet to obtain necessary nutrients, but "supercharged staple foods" are often a better solution than fad protein sources like poop algae or crude oil peanut butter.