Posted on 01/24/2004 5:05:38 PM PST by 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.
True. But what the food-nannies call a "balanced" diet has changed over the last 30 years from modest-carb modest-fat to low-fat and high-carb.
Caffeine is a diuretic and will tend to cause the kidneys to eliminate excess water. So tea, coffee, and most colas are non-good.
Starting with "Diet for a Small Planet", the Food Lefties panned Meat and pushed "Complex Carbohydrates."
In my Great Grandma's day, it was simply called "Starch", and everyone knew that the reason poor Southerners were Obese [and had Palagra] was lack of Meat and reliance on Starch like corn.
What you are seeing is the reaction of a Whole World that has been lied to for 25 Years.
Carb demand is down in Europe, as well.
I know a couple of women who've experienced both, and would prefer childbirth. Kidney stones can be, ummmmm, unpleasant.
I'm just grateful for ESWL, the ultrasonic stone-smashing machines. Have had it 4-5 times; no cutting required and quick recovery. Just as expensive as the old-fashioned cut 'n sew, though. Unbelievably expensive, as is everything in a hospital these days.
I hate to be picking on you, since this is a comment that has often been made, but since you are the one who made the comment here, I want to see some evidence.
Who doesn't the diet work for?
We keep seeing this statement but without any factual support.
Atkins, for the record, died of a serious head injury.
Statistically, fat people, as in 50 pounds "overweight," are among the longest lived. Most of the people who live past 90 were "overweight" according to the propaganda tables for most of their life. All people begin to lose weight uncontrollably late in life.
Well, I've never believed a NYer, but that is another issue.
Go to any Costco store. Their bagels are made by Noah's in New York, and shipped frozen, un-cooked, and then baked at the store. They are the real thing.
I only know 2 people that tried it. One of them didn't lose any weight, and her energy level dropped to nil. She changed to a high carb (lots of pasta), low fat diet and lost 30 lbs.
My dad was the other one, and although he lost 7 pounds in the month he was (strictly) on the diet, his cholesterol shot up through the roof, so he gave it up. (He's only about 15 lbs overweight anyway). His doc told him he's seen many people on Atkins, and the cholesterol problem was not a unique one.
He then switched to a diet of whole (not processed) grains, lots of veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds (although not too much), and fish .....and an occasional steak. Lost the rest of the weight, and his cholesterol levels dropped to normal.
lol.....and no, their cases aren't documented by the medical establishment, so I can't supply any "hard evidence."
But it's pretty obvious that people have vastly different metabolisms, constitutions, etc., so not every diet will work for everybody. ....and that includes Aktins.
Amazing ......a lot of folks have an almost religious attachment to this thing.
Well said and I think the Doc would have agreed with you.
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