In Gatlinburg, Tennessee, the three‑day Meatstock convention drew more than 1,400 attendees, all united by a devotion to the carnivore diet. Lisa Moss and her husband from Alberta arrived with a bag of air‑dried steak, ready to share stories of weight loss and wellness.

The event spotlighted influencers like “Steak and Butter Gal” and “2 Krazy Ketos,” who claim the diet cures arthritis, mental illness and diabetes. Participants celebrated the absence of fruits and vegetables while debating the merits of raw butter and raw milk, a stark contrast to mainstream nutritional guidance.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. championed the movement, recently unveiling a food pyramid that places steak at the top. His allies—Calley Means, Zen Honeycutt and Vani Hari—presented seminars questioning the link between cholesterol and heart disease, echoing Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” rhetoric.

The convention’s blend of community support and political echo raises questions about the market potential for meat‑centric products and the influence of celebrity health advocacy on consumer behavior. The event underscores a growing niche that could reshape food‑industry investment strategies.