A growing controversy surrounding David protein bars \u2014 a viral favorite among wellness influencers \u2014 is drawing comparisons to the movie \u201cMean Girls.\u201d<\/p>\n
A class action lawsuit filed in January alleges that the popular bars have more than 400% more fat and 80% more calories than advertised. It has prompted a flurry of recent social media posts<\/a> referring to the film\u2019s queen-bee character Regina George, who finds out that the \u201chealthy\u201d diet bars she was given are actually making her gain weight, not lose it. Others likened the situation to the \u201cSeinfeld\u201d episode in which the \u201cnonfat\u201d yogurt that everyone\u2019s obsessed with is \u2014 spoiler alert \u2014 full of fat.<\/p>\n On Wednesday, the company\u2019s founder, Peter Rahal, responded in a statement on X<\/a>: \u201cNo one is getting Regina Georged.\u201d<\/p>\n In an interview, Rahal said the issue comes down to the way calories are calculated.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a frivolous case where they\u2019re using the wrong measurement and method to measure calories,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The labels on David protein bars \u2014 which come in flavors like fudge brownie, blueberry pie and cake batter \u2014 list 150 calories and 2 grams of fat. But the lawsuit describes independent tests that found the bars to have 268 to 275 calories per serving and 11 to 13.5 grams of fat. <\/p>\n The plaintiffs say the discrepancy violates Food and Drug Administration standards, which mandate that the nutrient content of a food item not exceed the declared value by more than 20%.<\/p>\n But Rahal said the plaintiffs\u2019 testing was flawed. The discrepancy, he said, has to do with an ingredient in David protein bars called esterified propoxylated glycerol, or EPG, a modified plant-based fat substitute that moves through the body without getting digested.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is what makes David have 150 calories,\u201d Rahal said. \u201cIt\u2019s really a special ingredient that allows the food to taste like fat but doesn\u2019t have the caloric impact.\u201d<\/p>\n The laboratory cited in the lawsuit, Rahal said, used a device called a bomb calorimeter to calculate the calories in David bars. That method includes the calories in nondigestible ingredients \u2014 including EPG \u2014 in its count, he added. <\/p>\n \u201cThe science is unequivocal. You don\u2019t use a bomb calorimeter to measure nonnutritive things. It\u2019s very, very basic,\u201d Rahal said.<\/p>\n The calorie count listed on David protein bars, Rahal added, is based on a calculation of just the calories the body absorbs. The company complied with FDA regulations when it developed its bars, he said. <\/p>\n The lawsuit does not specify the method used to measure the calories. Anresco Laboratories, which did the testing, said it could not comment because of confidentiality agreements. <\/p>\n Amy Goodson, a registered dietitian, said EPG has been around as an ingredient since the 1980s and has gone mainstream in recent years.<\/p>\n \u201cThis ingredient allows you to actually put less fat grams on the food label itself, because it yields 92% less calories than a typical gram of fat would,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s resistant to digestive enzymes, so it\u2019s going through your system, but it\u2019s not actually digesting.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s a confusing concept for the everyday consumer, Goodson added.<\/p>\n \u201cWe look at a nutrition facts label and assume that what\u2019s on the label is what\u2019s in the product,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n David Protein, founded in 2024, quickly rose to prominence, with top names in the wellness and longevity space signing on as investors, including Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist and podcaster, and Peter Attia, a celebrity doctor and author. Last month, Attia stepped down as chief science officer at David Protein amid backlash over his emails with Jeffrey Epstein<\/a>.<\/p>\n The hype around David bars has come amid a national obsession with protein. The new U.S. dietary guidelines<\/a>, unveiled in January, place a heavy emphasis on protein<\/a>, recommending it at every meal. Brands have capitalized on the craze: \u201cDoritos Protein\u201d chips hit store shelves this month, Starbucks is selling protein matcha, and the company Protein Pints even advertises high-protein ice cream. <\/p>\n Rahal said David Protein plans to fight the lawsuit.<\/p>\n \u201cAny time you\u2019re on the forefront of innovation, there\u2019s confusion,\u201d he said. \u201cWe stand by our product fully.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-03\/260312-davids-protein-nutritional-facts-ew-1131a-780ef9.jpg\")
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