In this episode, Anna Posbergh interviews Professors Samantha King and Gavin Weedon about their groundbreaking book Protein: The Making of a Nutritional Superstar on protein, exploring its cultural, scientific, and political dimensions. They explore the history, marketing, environmental impact, and social implications of protein as a nutritional superstar.
Samantha King is the Director of the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queen’s University and Professor in Sociocultural Studies. She is an interdisciplinary scholar of the body, health, and sport, and works with feminist, queer, and critical race theories to research a broad variety of topics ranging from drugs to food. Gavin Weedon is Associate Professor in Sociology of Sport, Health, and the Body at Nottingham Trent University and Head of the Sport and Society Research Group in the Department of Sport Science. His research explores how embodied practices are implicated in social, political, and ecological issues, from youth labor migration to elite sport to survivalist physical cultures.
Keywords: protein, nutrition, culture, environment, social justice, food politics, whey protein, protein industry, health, climate change
Chapters
01:15 Why protein is a cultural and scientific phenomenon
03:07 The history and social underpinnings of protein
04:55 What is protein? Exploring its multiplicity
09:08 The rise of protein as an uber nutrient
17:46 Key episodes in the narrative of protein
23:37 Colonial roots and racial logics of protein
37:29 Health, aging, and the construction of bodies
47:24 Whey protein: From environmental waste to supplement
56:09 Protein and the climate crisis
01:16:47 Protein in the current political environment
01:26:20 Reflections on the authors' relationship with protein
Hosts in this episode: Anna
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