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Learning
lessons from the fading Atkins craze
December 30, 04
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
It’s a new year. Time to refresh efforts at eating well
and being physically active.
And time to welcome back the carbs – the good ones,
at least: whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables. Yes,
signs are that the low-carb diet fad is fading – finally.
The New York Times, citing the research firm NPD Group, reported
last month that the number of Americans following low-carb
diets fell from 9 percent this time last year to 4.6 percent
in September. Sales of Atkins products fell 32 percent in
the last half of 2004, said the Times, citing Information
Resources, Inc. Meanwhile, Atkins Nutritionals began layoffs
of 40 percent of its work force in September and halved its
2005 marketing budget.
With the latest food fad apparently on the wane, it may be
instructive to take a closer look at why it got the traction
it got in the first place. Some likely explanations:
* The challenge of obesity. Any solution will have to address
a complicated web of lifestyle changes difficult to make given
our culture. Moreover, even though obesity is one of the top
public health concerns, there’s no coordinated plan
for addressing the causes, either on individual or national
levels. While most health professionals agree that diet and
exercise play roles, other possible contributors – such
as the marketing of junk foods to kids and lack of nutrition
information on restaurant menus – are the subjects of
debate, and solutions that involve policy fixes are contentious.
Compared to all of that, an easy answer such as “cut
the carbs” has appeal.
* Suspension of disbelief. Common sense and science contradicted
the low-carb approach. It’s true that refined carbohydrates,
such as those found in soft drinks, sweets and snack foods,
should be limited. But abundant research shows that carbs
from whole grains, fruits, vegetables and beans should make
up the bulk of your diet.
* The persistence of old myths. The idea that carbs –
particularly bread – are fattening has made the rounds
before and rings familiar alarm bells with some folks. Many
of us are old enough to remember the dieters’ plates
at the Woolworth’s food counter – the ground steak
patty and scoop of cottage cheese, garnished with a tomato
slice and iceberg lettuce leaf. Those were also the days of,
“I’ll have a cheeseburger, hold the bun, please.”
* A complicit media. The mass media – newspapers, magazines,
broadcast news – have been willing to ride the wave
of enthusiasm for low-carb diets and have appeared to be disinterested
in asking probing questions that might point out inconsistencies
between low-carb diet claims and the preponderance of evidence
that challenges the diet’s likely long-term effectiveness.
Newsrooms like trend stories. They’re easy to cover.
It takes more effort to dig deeper, and most newsrooms operate
with tight staffs and tight schedules.
* Big money. The low carb craze has been a financial godsend
for business and industry – food, books, magazines –
you name it. As Arne Bey, chief executive for Keto Foods,
a low-carb food producer, told The New York Times: “It
was a low-carb gold rush, and like everyone else, we got swept
up in it.”
* The lure of a gimmick. There’s something irresistible
about a quick fix with a twist, whether it’s eating
grapefruit or cabbage soup – or shunning carbs.
Eventually, though, reality reigns.
Diets rich in whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables lower
the risk of coronary artery disease and are associated with
other health benefits, including better control of weight.
It’s not exciting news. But it’s news you can
use.
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