Meat the carnivore influencers: a content analysis of how animal-based diets are promoted on social media
1
Communication Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A3311
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
SSocial media platforms such as Instagram are saturated with so-called healthy food content, much of which contradicts official nutrition guidelines (Denniss et al., 2023). Influencers, particularly those without formal nutritional or medical qualifications, play a key role in disseminating such information, shaping followers’ beliefs and behaviours around food (Zeng et al., 2025). One recent trend that has attracted considerable attention on social media, and is characterised by striking dietary prescriptions, is the carnivore diet, which advocates the near-exclusive consumption of animal-based products (i.e., meat, eggs, dairy) while excluding all other food groups. As this trend raises substantial concerns from both public health and environmental perspectives, research is needed to examine how these carnivore influencers are promoting this diet.
METHODS:
This study draws on a mixed-methods content analysis of 220 food-related Instagram posts. These posts were collected through purposive sampling by identifying 11 prominent carnivore influencers and selecting their 20 most recent food-related posts at the time of data collection.
RESULTS:
Across the sample, we identified several recurring themes: animal-based foods such as meat were 1) visually glorified in excessively large quantities (according to dietary guidelines across most European countries); 2) framed as medicinal and necessary for health and appearance; 3) portrayed as suppressed by industry-funded research and elite institutions; and 4) presented as an ancient, “natural” human food. Although less prominent, we also observed subtle references to 5) manosphere ideology and 6) broader alt-right discourses.
CONCLUSIONS:
These findings highlight how carnivore influencers construct persuasive narratives around animal-based diets, normalising extreme and potentially harmful eating behaviours. They draw on a combination of cultural narratives, pseudo-scientific claims, and ideological cues to legitimise these diets, which may steer people towards increased meat consumption while reinforcing the perception that doing so is not only desirable but necessary for health.
SSocial media platforms such as Instagram are saturated with so-called healthy food content, much of which contradicts official nutrition guidelines (Denniss et al., 2023). Influencers, particularly those without formal nutritional or medical qualifications, play a key role in disseminating such information, shaping followers’ beliefs and behaviours around food (Zeng et al., 2025). One recent trend that has attracted considerable attention on social media, and is characterised by striking dietary prescriptions, is the carnivore diet, which advocates the near-exclusive consumption of animal-based products (i.e., meat, eggs, dairy) while excluding all other food groups. As this trend raises substantial concerns from both public health and environmental perspectives, research is needed to examine how these carnivore influencers are promoting this diet.
METHODS:
This study draws on a mixed-methods content analysis of 220 food-related Instagram posts. These posts were collected through purposive sampling by identifying 11 prominent carnivore influencers and selecting their 20 most recent food-related posts at the time of data collection.
RESULTS:
Across the sample, we identified several recurring themes: animal-based foods such as meat were 1) visually glorified in excessively large quantities (according to dietary guidelines across most European countries); 2) framed as medicinal and necessary for health and appearance; 3) portrayed as suppressed by industry-funded research and elite institutions; and 4) presented as an ancient, “natural” human food. Although less prominent, we also observed subtle references to 5) manosphere ideology and 6) broader alt-right discourses.
CONCLUSIONS:
These findings highlight how carnivore influencers construct persuasive narratives around animal-based diets, normalising extreme and potentially harmful eating behaviours. They draw on a combination of cultural narratives, pseudo-scientific claims, and ideological cues to legitimise these diets, which may steer people towards increased meat consumption while reinforcing the perception that doing so is not only desirable but necessary for health.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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