Orange Growers Irked by Low-Carb Diets

Associated Press via Yahoo! News ^ | January 21, 2004 | MIKE SCHNEIDER

[PJ-Comix]

LAKELAND, Fla. - Tired of losing orange juice drinkers to low-carb diets, Florida's citrus growers are fighting back.

The state Department of Citrus on Wednesday changed its marketing strategy to convince consumers that orange juice can be compatible with the Atkins diet as well as the popular weight-loss plan pushed by television talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw.

The department's lawyer also is reviewing legal options against some books, such as "The South Beach Diet," that discourage orange juice for dieting purposes because of its high sugar levels.

About $1.8 million will be spent on a marketing campaign to combat the bad image caused by low-carb diets. The department is abandoning a marketing campaign that targeted moms and young professional women.

"There are powerful, negative messages against us," said Bob Crawford, executive director of the Florida Department of Citrus. "We're not going to stand and take it."

Florida's $9 billion citrus industry has reason to be concerned. Orange juice consumption has fallen from 888 million gallons during the 2000-2001 growing season to an expected 844 million gallons in the current season.

Citrus officials said a noticeable drop occurred last March when low-carb diets began to reach a critical mass.

"People are dropping out of the market," said Dan Gunter, a consultant for the Department of Citrus.

Crawford said the Atkins diet and Dr. Phil's diet leave room for orange juice consumption. But he said lawyers were reviewing claims against orange juice made in "The South Beach Diet" and other publications.

"I think if people write things that aren't true about our product, we'll first talk about it with them and hopefully avoid litigation," Crawford said.

In "The South Beach Diet," Dr. Arthur Agatston urges readers to eat fruits rather than drink fruit juice.

"Again, fruit juices are a big source of trouble, in part because we've come to associate them with healthy habits," Agatston writes in the best-selling book. "But they also bring with them high levels of fructose, which can be the undoing of any effort to lose weight."

The publisher, Rodale Inc., said it stands by the book's "sound nutritional advice."

Most of Florida's oranges are processed into juice. Florida is the nation's largest producer of oranges and second in the world to Brazil.

[sweetliberty]

For 2 1/2 years I've given up virtually everything I truly enjoy eating. I'll be d****d if I'll give up orange juice!

[uncbob]

People on low fat healthy diets cut out a lot of the same foods that the Atkins diet does

No cakes pies pastries of any kind-- no chips nachos -- corn curls--etc etc
( one cuts them out because of the processed fats the other because of the carbs)

BOTH type diets eliminate those foods

In addition low fat diets also cut out sodas candy- white bread ( use whole wheat etc etc ) same as Atkins

[sweetliberty]

"I have discovered the root of the problem... LAWYERS"

Bingo!

[naguszed]

Carb-laden diets are the fad. Refined sugars & bleached processed flour crept into our diets significantly in the last 20 years.

I did Atkins over 1 1/2 years ago on a lark while recovering from a foot injury that left me sedentary for 3 months. I was amazed, not just at the weight I lost, but also at the amount of really crappy carbs laced into everyday processed foods. So much so that after my recovery, I stayed on the diet.

I made my own personal adjustments to the diet. I lay off the heavy creams & red meats & bacon. (I had a spike in my cholesterol after the early phase, which disappeared 6 months after the adjustments.) Because I get more than my share of exercise, I do allow more carbs than most on maintenance. Weight dropped 5 more lbs (& held for over a year).

I dont miss pasta, coke (used to drink 1 a day), candy & junk snacks (used to be daily). Atkins showed me how crappy I felt after eating this stuff...why would I ever go back?

[naguszed]

Carb-laden diets are the fad. Refined sugars & bleached processed flour crept into our diets significantly in the last 20 years.

I did Atkins over 1 1/2 years ago on a lark while recovering from a foot injury that left me sedentary for 3 months. Lost 25lbs... I was amazed, not just at the weight I lost, but also at the amount of really crappy carbs laced into everyday processed foods. So much so that after my recovery, I stayed on the diet.

I made my own personal adjustments to the diet. I lay off the heavy creams & red meats & bacon. (I had a spike in my cholesterol after the early phase, which disappeared 6 months after the adjustments.) Because I get more than my share of exercise, I do allow more carbs than most on maintenance. Weight dropped 5 more lbs (& held for over a year).

I dont miss pasta, coke (used to drink 1 a day), candy & junk snacks (used to be daily). Atkins showed me how crappy I felt after eating this stuff...why would I ever go back?

[antaresequity]

Carbs are killer and so is protein and so is fiber and vegies

It depends on the demands your putting your body through...and what those demands will precipitate into in terms of intake

If your loading up prior to a burn day, go with carbs...if your looking to rebuild tissues after stressing the structure...pack in some more protein...if your looking to balance the extremes and keep things moving...go with more fiber and vegies...

There isn't one diet that works...listen to your body...understand the demands you are anticipating making on your body...adjust accordingly...

All of its good...know when you need a balance shift, and react...

Nothing wrong with pasta, steak or OJ...its all good

[sweetliberty]

LOL!

[sweetliberty]

"I know that the pizza I had from Arnies (sp?) in Lafayette, Indiana, was the best pizza I've ever had in my life."

If you ever get to Arkansas, look me up. I'll bet mine would make for a good challenge.

.

[Hank Rearden]

I miss my not-from-concentrate OJ almost every morning.

But I don't miss the 60 lbs. lost the last 9 months.

[Triple Word Score]

That's PIZZA????

Holy breadmachine.

<---wants recipe

[WFTR]

I've been eating three or four oranges a week for maybe a year or so, and 2003 was the first year that I went an entire year without having to use sick leave. I never really put the two facts together, but maybe the oranges improved my immune system.

I have a friend who is on kidney dialysis, and his protein intake is limited because protein builds up so quickly in his bloodstream. His dieticians tell him that even healthy people who eat too much protein will damage their kidneys trying to remove the wastes that it produces.

When all is said and done, people need to eat an all-around healthy diet. If they'd do so, they'd lose weight and feel better. If they don't, they'll be heavy. The diet doesn't need to be particularly low carb or high carb. It just needs to be balanced.

WFTR
Bill

[Triple Word Score]

I am coming to believe that much of our problem is not drinking enough water. We drink fluids that do not have the net effect of actually hydrating us and helping flush out toxins. Fats are one of the ways our bodies deal with less-soluble toxins--it's like an oyster secreting mother of pearl around an irritant to wall it off. It's something to think about. 80% of Americans are clinically dehydrated much of the time--we've literally short-circuited our thirst reflexes by quenching our thirst with fluids that do not hydrate us.

Just one theory. No matter what diet you're on, you have to give your kidneys the tools to get rid of the crud you don't need.

[Hank Rearden]

I tend to agree with you about fluids. Having had kidney stones, water (and Allopurinol) is a good thing. What I don't understand is the emphasis that plain water is better than other drinks.

I drink water, but also Crystal Lite and Diet Rite sodas for flavor. Since the latter are almost all water as well, I consider them part of my water intake. I've never seen any reason why I shouldn't, but have seen people say not to count them.

I also drink black coffee, mostly in the form of double-espressos (I roast my own beans; kinda picky about my coffee). I can see the caffeine there screwing with my metabolism a bit, and there's not much water content, so there's good reason not to count *that* water.

[Old Professer]

I haven't heard the orange gavel rumble like this since Rush got on the grower's bad side about ten years ago:

The department's lawyer also is reviewing legal options against some books, such as "The South Beach Diet," that discourage orange juice for dieting purposes because of its high sugar levels.

[Old Professer]

We eat the crap out of oranges

Try picking them before they fall off the tree.

[NYCVirago]

People on low fat healthy diets cut out a lot of the same foods that the Atkins diet does No cakes pies pastries of any kind-- no chips nachos -- corn curls--etc etc ( one cuts them out because of the processed fats the other because of the carbs)

Thanks for pointing this out. Some of these fanatics think that any non-low-carb diet treats jelly donuts like they're health food!

[dread78645]

BTW, what is a good source for fish oil as well as zinc in the FOOD form?

Kippers & sardines.
Nuts, seaweed, and broccoli. (no Omega-3, sorry).
But your average multivitamin should provide plenty.

Drop the caffeine --it can leach Zinc & Magnesium.

[dread78645]

Will our average weight, waistline, and cholesterol levels decline?

Why not? 30 years of lo-fat hi-carb food got us where we Americans are today: 2/3 overweight and 1/3rd obese.

[dread78645]

fat does not make you fat

but saturated fat will clog your arteries and give you heart problems.

Don't be too sure

Although it is commonly believed that saturated fats and dietary cholesterol "clog arteries" and cause heart disease, such ideas have been shown to be false by such scientists as Linus Pauling, Russell Smith, George Mann, John Yudkin, Abram Hoffer, Mary Enig, Uffe Ravnskov and other prominent researchers (49). On the contrary, studies have shown that arterial plaque is primarily composed of unsaturated fats, particularly polyunsaturated ones, and not the saturated fat of animals, palm or coconut (50).

Trans-fatty acids, as opposed to saturated fats, have been shown by researchers such as Enig, Mann and Fred Kummerow to be causative factors in accelerated atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, cancer and other ailments (51).

Trans-fatty acids are found in such modern foods as margarine and vegetable shortening and foods made with them. Enig and her colleagues have also shown that excessive omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake from refined vegetable oils is also a major culprit behind cancer and heart disease, not animal fats.

[longtermmemmory]

Dannon yogurt made the claim that eating their yogurt will let you live to be one hundred. Have there been any suits from family members whose loved ones did not reach that age?

All these fad diets are without credibility. There is nothing to justify anyone believing them.

Atkins is not even revolutionary, its an old bodybuilder trick for temporary results before a competition.

I think in this situation its the legitimate orange juice business going after false claims. It is as if the South Beach diet people said drinking OJ makes your head fall off.

BTW has anyone seen what people eat at southbeach restaurants? It is very UN-atkins.