Posted on 07/14/2004 4:23:35 PM PDT by Nachum
NEW YORK (Reuters) - So much for the low-carbohydrate lifestyle.
More than half of all U.S. consumers that have tried following diets that eschew carbs such as bread and sugar have given up, a survey released on Wednesday found, and interest in the popular regimens appears to have plateaued.
According to research firm InsightExpress, which conducted the survey online, fewer than 10 percent of Americans are currently on popular low-carbohydrate diets such as the Atkins, South Beach and The Zone.
In contrast, a survey conducted in December of last year by Opinion Dynamics Corporation found that, at the time, 11 percent of Americans were on low-carb diets.
The latest InsightExpress poll of 500 Americans also found that of survey participants who were not following low-carb diets, fewer than one in five would consider buying a low-carb product because they perceive a diet low in carbs to be unhealthy.
That's unwelcome news for U.S. food companies such as H.J. Heinz Co. and General Mills Inc. that have scrambled in the past year to keep up with the low-carb trend by reformulating staples such as ketchup, cereal and yogurt to reduce their carbohydrate content.
In fact, Legg Mason beverage analyst Mark Swartzberg said on Wednesday that sales of mid-calorie colas recently introduced by both PepsiCo Inc. and Coca-Cola Co. "are either slow builds or something closer to dead on arrival."
In a research note, Swartzberg said the findings were based on feedback from 51 U.S. retailers who had devoted shelf space to Coke's C2 and Pepsi's Pepsi Edge colas. The products, launched in June, were intended to appeal to calorie- and carb-wary consumers, reducing the sugar by adding Splenda, an alternative sweetener.
This crap was just a cheap opportunistic attempt to cash in on Atkins. I've been drinking Diet-Rite Cola for almost 2 years and have not tired of it. I also drink my share of water...
I am still wondering what was wrong with diet coke.
Seen your pic too...looking good ;-)
So then I can expect beef prices to moderate a bit? I'm really getting tired of chicken and pork all the time!
Pardon me, Honest, but you don't know what you are talking about. Comon sense is seldom common or sensible... and in this instance wrong.
They had a "no carb" drink and they come out with a "half the carbs" drink to appeal to people who were on diets where just a quarter of a serving would max out your CDA? Made no sense.
Personally I drink diet Faygo or Diet Rite if I am going to drink pop at all.
It is pure marketing. I suspect that these companies know the low carb hysteria will come to an end and cash in now. It reminds me of dotcom IPOs.
One thing about the low carb fad is that it is making it easiier for diabetics to regulate their carb intake, both at home and especially while dining out.
And what fraction of U.S. consumers that have tried traditional low fat/low calorie diets have given up on them? Without that information, the absolute numbers mean nothing. Judging by the waistlines I see, especially my own, I'd say the number was way higher than half. I'm still on Adkins after 6 months and 70 pounds. I figure about a year and 70 more pounds to go. Then I'll just maybe have a potato or pizza crust now and again. Adkins worked for me back in the 70s when I first tried it, but I don't think I took the right supplements, as after a while, less than the six months I've been on it this time, I looked good, but felt bad.
Even my division V.P. is on it, and she'd losing weight too.
You don't know what your talking about. It works, exercise makes it work better and my blood sugar and cholesterol are now at normal levels.
Yep the people that have benefitted best from the low carb craze are diabetics and sugar sensitive people.
That eating after 5 pm is probably schedule related. Since I work at night, if I didn't eat after 5... I wouldn't eat for another 20 hours.
Neither is Atkins a "low carb" diet by that measure. You count "net carbs", which exclude the low glycemic index stuff like fiber. One local Tex-Mex place went so far as to develope their own, made fresh on site, low net carb tortillas, which are in some ways tastier than the regular ones, with a 7 fold decrease in net carbs to less than 3 per tortilla. (And they only chage about a quarter extra for stuff made with them).
Actually I know several companies have low carb products in the pipe line so I don't think that low carb is going away any time soon.
What will go away are the low carb that aren't. Yopleit yogurt, these drinks, some of the breads and all the stuff that is loaded with sugar alcohols.
I really hope that at some point they learn to make a decent sugar free ice cream.
What this poll is stating is that last year 55 of the 500 were on Low Carb and this year it has dropped to 48. Absolute proof the fad is over.
I'm not convinced there will be a good sugar free ice cream unless someone does something with splenda. Good point about the 'low carb' products that aren't. Candy bars???
Actually, I only eat at 11 am. Most days.
Well, I am proud of you. That is not reasonable for most people.
Really? I've lost over 50 lbs since March along with a 70 point drop in my cholesterol and 130 points lower with my Triglycerides.
Enjoy your celery stick before you jog 20 miles. I'm going to sit here and eat...
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