Fortune does not take a stand for or against the low carb diet. Instead, it investigates the huge impact the low carb lifestyle has had on the food industry around the world. Breadmakers are convening meetings to discuss the issue. Meat packers and egg distributors are working overtime. Low carb products are being introduced at a rate of two a day.
They report that 40% of all Americans have cut back on carb consumption in the past year, at least on some level. Over half have cut back on white sugar.
Manufacturers of low carb brands are focusing on food that tastes delicious and is in addition low carb and low sugar. This is different from past years, where diet food makers pushed the health benefits, expecting consumers to put up with sub-par flavor as a necessary sacrifice. By making a food healthy and tasty, it means that people can choose a product because they truly love it, and the health benefits are just an added bonus.
Fortune quotes a food maker as saying, "When I hear, 'It's not that bad,' it pisses me off." This is one of the great results of the low carb diet. People want to eat healthy, but they want it to be tasty too. If people can eat tasty food, and eat until they are full, there is no reason for them to stray from this eating style. And they will lose weight!
The long term key to the success of any product is that people willingly return to buy it again and again. It has to meet their needs. With low carb dieting, the system really does work. By removing excess sugar and starch from a diet, the body can run more efficiently, lose weight, and feel more energetic. It's a win-win for everyone. The most important key may be to make sure we reach the younger generation, and stop feeding them Twinkies and Yodels during their critical formative years.
Read the Fortune Article on Low Carb Foods
Lisa Shea's Library of Low Carb Books
