‘Gym bros’ on the internet are worrying other social media users by posting videos of them eating dog food in an effort to up their protein intake.
In one viral video which has received more than 21 million views, TikTok user Henry Clarisey points at the nutrition page on MyFitnessPal for Pedigree dog food, which falsely states there are 666 grams of protein.
Clarisey, 21, asks ‘which one of you guys are going to take one for the team,’ before stating he would be willing to do it if he is able to get 15,000 likes.
In a follow up video that received nearly three million views, the gym buff tries out the dog food saying, ‘it’s for the gains’ before later throwing it up and concluding, ‘it’s not worth it.’
Although the food is high in protein, health officials say some ingredients in dog food can be harmful to humans.
‘Gym bros’ on the internet are worrying other social media users by posting videos of them eating dog food in an effort to up their protein intake
Immediately, however, Clarisey said he would not do it again if pressed
Clarisey in another video also tried cat food after a commenter told him it was even higher in protein. That video received 3.3 million views.
In an interview with Buzzfeed News, the TikTok influencer said he knew he ‘needed to try it,’ after seeing the nutrition facts.
Immediately, however, he said he would not do it again if pressed.
‘I promise you guys, it’s not worth it,’ he said in the video that received 300,000 likes.
‘The dog food tasted extremely dry. Needed so much water after eating it,’ Clarisey told the outlet.
‘Tasted like little pieces of dirt and I definitely don’t think it was worth it. Even though it’s a lot of protein, I’d take steak or protein powder,’ he said.
The video of Clarisey trying the dog food has received thousands of comments with users expressing everything from disgust to fascination and even including jokes.
‘Its def worth it, he just tryna gate keep. Trust fr fr,’ wrote one person.
‘You’re braver than me,’ said one user.
‘Dog food ain’t that bad fr. I use to MUNCH as a kid,’ wrote one user.
‘Blend it with a single banana it will cancel out any other flavor,’ joked one person.
In one viral video which has received more than 21 million views, TikTok user Henry Clarisey points out the nutrition page on MyFitnessPal for Pedigree dog food
In an interview with Buzzfeed News , the TikTok influencer said he knew he ‘needed to try it,’ after seeing the nutrition facts
‘The dog food tasted extremely dry. Needed so much water after eating it,’ Clarisey said
‘I promise you guys, it’s not worth it,’ Clarisey says in the video that received 300,000 likes
Clarisey is a fitness buff who said he needed to try the dog food ‘for the gains’
Clarisey is certainly not alone, however, as other social media users have also posted now-viral videos of them either trying the dog food or joking about trying it.
In one TikTok, a man is seen putting dog food into his cart at the store and jokingly saying he is buying it for when they get a dog.
Later in that video he is seen eating the dog food straight out of the can with a spoon.
Another TikTok user called the gram of protein to gram of dog food ratio ‘bonkers’ and said he would eat the dog food if he received 5,000 likes.
Arguably the funniest video among this trend comes from one TikTok creator who showed himself in front of text saying ‘300 grams of protein in 100 grams of dog food’ only to cut away to a person in a dog costume, writing ‘me af.’
Hundreds of videos on the app have raked up millions of views and likes with users saying they are ‘tempted’ by the high-protein items.
Before thinking about trying it for yourself, however, American health officials are warning that dog food may not be safe for human consumption.
According to Melissa Majumdar, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics who spoke with Buzzfeed, the food – while safe for animals – does not always follow the same rules human food has to adhere to.
‘While most ingredients in dog food are similar to human food, they are meant to meet the needs of dogs, not humans, who have different nutritional priorities,’ Majumdar said. ‘
Additionally, they contain foods we don’t want a lot of in our diet. If you read the ingredients of dog food, you’ll find chicken byproduct meal and animal fat,’ she said.
One veterinarian said that while some dog foods do in fact state they are ‘human grade,’ that label means very little.
‘Human edible foods are way different and regulated by the FDA. Human-grade doesn’t mean anything,’ said Tracy Navarra, a veterinarian at Peachtree Hills Animal Hospital.
In one TikTok, a man is seen putting dog food into his cart at the store and jokingly saying he is buying it for when they get a dog
Later in that video he is seen eating the dog food straight out of the can with a spoon.
In an email to Buzzfeed, Pedigree officials denied that their product could be harmful to the human body.
‘Our foods are intended for dogs and cats, but would not be harmful if a human consumed them,’ the company said.
‘The manufacturing processes and research that go into our products are equal to —and in some cases, even better than — those of human food manufacturers,’ they continued.
Despite their statement, overall, health officials say dog food in general does not meet the nutritional requirements of human food.
This isn’t abnormal, though, as most human food does not meet the nutritional requirements of dog food, according to officials.
Additionally, one cause for concern is that dogs digestive systems’ are differently abled to handle bacteria, viruses, parasites, and pathogens.
‘We are not the same, so we should not eat the same. While the nutritional needs of protein, carbohydrates, and fats may not be that different between the human and dog, it should not be the deciding factor in choosing, by free will, to consume dog food,’ Navarra said.
According to the vet, a dog’s digestive system can break down protein quicker.
The other major issue connected to the dog food predicament is that misinformation regarding the nutritional value of dog food has spread like wildfire.
The info Clarisey pointed out came from MyFitnessPal and showed a Pedigree dog food product that claimed to have nearly 700 grams of protein in 200 grams.
In a statement to Buzzfeed, however, Pedigree said the highest percentage of protein in any of their dog food products was 28.7 percent.
MyFitnessPal officials said they could not comment on how the app had come up with those numbers but did say they had experienced more users including dog food on their app.
‘MyFitnessPal did see an uptick in people logging dog food due to the TikTok trend, which was driven by males 18-24 who want to gain or maintain weight,’ said Jen Whitman, MyFitnessPal spokesperson.
‘The spike in logging primarily took place between February 20-24,” Whitman said.
Clarisey’s video was posted on February 22.
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