Experts are blaming social media stars such as the ‘Liver King’ for causing many young men to develop ‘muscle dysmorphia’ and turning to dangerous steroids.
Brian Johnson, 45, is known as the Liver King on social media, and boasts five million followers across his social media platforms.
Known for his love of raw meat, ballooning muscles and primal lifestyle, he became a sensation online. However, he has come under fire for hiding his use of steroids while claiming his nine ‘ancestral tenets’ were responsible for his physique.
The influencer is now facing a $25million class-action lawsuit from customers that purchased his supplements and products hoping it would help them reach his level.
He, and other social media stars like him, are also being blamed for fueling a mental health crisis among young men who believe they need to reach an impossible level of fitness to be considered healthy.
Brian Johnson (pictured), 45, is a fitness social media influencer who goes by the name ‘Liver King’. He promotes eating raw meat and living a ‘primal’ lifestyle
In an interview with ABC, the Liver King is seen hunting and killing a cow that the and his family then ate raw. He also walks around barefoot
In an interview with ABC/Nightline, Mr Johnson said he adopted his bizarre lifestyle because of medical issues faced by his children.
One of his children suffered from Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections, known as PANDAS.
The disease is triggered by a Strep A infection in a child’s youth, and causes a child to suffer obsessive compulsive disorder.
‘My kids were really sick. Going to the hospital, they couldn’t breathe,’ he told ABC.
‘I learned about this whole ancestral living things. We introduced liver, egg yolks, bone soups, they got better.
‘For years our kids lived through this, and now they are living a life that’s way better than they [previously] lived.’
He also points to his children for the Liver King moniker he dons.
‘The name is Liver King because liver is king. If these is one thing you can do right now that is implementable, you can do this immediately, you can get liver in your life, and you’ll feel the difference,’ he said.
The Liver King rose to prominence in 2021, when he began to post absurd videos of himself on social media, walking around barefoot and shirtless, drinking blood, and eating raw meat and bugs.
He especially garnered attention for eating raw bull testicles and liver from freshly slain animals.
‘Why would I have vegetables when I can eat testicles,’ he famously said in previous videos.
He told ABC the he initially did not want to use social media, but saw it as a platform to promote his supplement brand.
‘If I don’t have a million followers in six months I’m not doing this,’ he said when he first launched his accounts on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.
He would reach the 1million mark in a matter of months, rocketing in the world of fitness influencers.
The Liver King promotes nine ancestral tenets: sleep, eat, move, shield, connect, cold, sun, fight and bond.
He called his followers his fellow ‘primals’, and other the ‘sub-primals’. His ripped body served as the primary marketing tool.
‘What we sell is a vision to the ancestral lifestyle,’ he said.
Liver King claims to live by nine ancestral tenets that are responsible for his incredible physique. However, it was revealed last year that he is spending up to $11,000 per month on steroids to fuel his workouts
The Liver King previously claimed that eating raw meat was responsible for his build, but now admits that he was previously lying and did use steroids
Despite many vocal critics who pointed out his physique seemed impossible to reach, the Liver King vehemently denied he ever used anabolic steroids.
The house of cards came crashing down in late 2022, when it was revealed he spent around $11,000 per month on performance-enhancing drugs.
In a video titled ‘The Liver King Lie’, by YouTuber More Plates More Dates, the Liver King’s secret was revealed.
Mr Johnson quickly admitted to his steroid use, admitting the revelations were true in a response video titled ‘I Lied’.
‘It couldn’t be more visceral,’ he said of how watching the video exposing him felt.
‘My heart dropped. I was in shock. I couldn’t believe it.
‘I thought about all the people that believed in me… I looked then in the eye and I lied to them.’
Greg Doucette, a professional body-builder and fitness YouTuber that has admitted to steroid use himself, told ABC: ‘If you were knowledgeable at all you would have known, that physique, it isn’t natural’.
Mr Johnson explained the steroids that he had used, saying: ‘I’ve tried a couple of steroids. I’ve been on testosterone for four-five years. I was on growth hormone for about a year and a half.’
He said he turned to steroids after feeling like he needed more to fill his role as a business owner, father and influencer.
Greg Doucette (pictured), a fitness influencer who has admitted to steroid use, says that the Liver King’s lies were dangerous to young people that may look up to him
‘Do I feel like I’m not good enough? Yeah,’ he said.
‘I was deceptive because I was taking these performance-enhancing drugs and lead people to believe that it was only these nine ancestral tenets that got me here.
‘I was wrong… it’s one of the top regrets of my entire life.’
The last time he used steroids was January 2, he said.
‘I’m healthier than I’ve ever been. If it weren’t for that I guarantee you I would still be on that stuff.’
Experts warn that the facade the Liver King was putting on it harmful to young men.
‘Young people look to influencers as their idols in a way previous generations looked at movie stars, musicians,’ Emily Hand told ABC.
Mr Doucette said: ‘If I were to describe the perfect male body, it has actually changed throughout the years. Now more than ever it’s leaner. It’s having very low fat levels. Having 6-pack abdominals.
‘Having muscles popping out everywhere.’
He continued: ‘There is pressure more than ever to look good. It’s more often leading to people thinking ‘how can I improve myself’.
‘They might think ‘I can do something with my diet or go to the gym and workout’ but they’re thinking it’s not enough.
‘A lot of these people, they’re actually resorting to taking performance enhancing drugs.’
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 4.9 percent of males and 2.4 percent of females in high school have used steroids, referring to it as a ‘dangerous combo’.
‘This is a significant public health issue,’ Harrison Pope, author of The Adonis Complex, told ABC.
Steroid use can cause hair loss, the development of cysts and acne. In the worst cases, it can cause significant and potentially deadly heart issues.
Experts also say it is fueling a condition called ‘muscle dysmorphia’, where a person will believe they are too small no matter how much muscle they put on.
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