Diet Firms Hope To Knock Out Low-Carb Craze

[nobimbo]

Diet firms hope to knock out low-carb craze
Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig stress shedding pounds for good

Reuters
Updated: 10:35 a.m. ET Dec. 31, 2004


LOS ANGELES - Proclaiming an end to the low-carb diet craze, U.S. weight loss companies are launching a marketing blitz aimed at winning over consumers resolved to shed flab once and for all in the New Year.

As the number of Americans following low-carbohydrate regimens like Atkins and South Beach continues to fall, stalwart diet companies such as Weight Watchers International Inc. and Jenny Craig Inc. are confident they can regain the upper hand in 2005.

Already, Weight Watchers shares have gained nearly 16 percent in the last 2 months, partly in anticipation of an improved outlook.

"We are seeing a nice resurgence," said Scott Parker, vice president of marketing for privately held Jenny Craig. "A lot of people have been let down by the promises of these other kinds of approaches."

The popularity of low-carb diets, which shun foods like bread and pasta in favor of proteins like meat and cheese, soared at the beginning of 2004 as an estimated 9.1 percent of Americans took up the regimens. Since then, however, the number of consumers on diets like Atkins fell to 3.6 percent in November, according to The NPD Group, a market research firm.

Sales growth of low-carb packaged foods have also slowed after big food makers scrambled earlier this year to roll out low-carb versions of everything from cookies to cereal.

At a Los Angeles supermarket earlier this week, General Mills Inc.'s low-carb Momentum bars, introduced mid-year, were marked as "reduced for quick sale." The company was not available for comment on the discounting.

The low-carb boom and ensuing media focus on the two-thirds of American adults who are overweight — including a reality TV show called "The Biggest Loser" in which contestants engage in a race to shed pounds — has made consumers more aware of the dangers of being fat, experts said.

But as the popularity of low-carb diets has died down, debates over healthy eating have raged on, and a trend toward more balanced eating is emerging.

"The reason people were interested in (low-carb) was that it worked for a period of time, but it's difficult to sustain," said Ken Harris, managing director at marketing consulting firm Cannondale Associates. "The key next year will be a sustainable diet regimen, and that's what people are vying for."

Both Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers will be touting the sustainability of their programs in advertising and new products early next year, though neither has been specific about membership projections.

Jenny Craig will promote its personalized "Your Style" approach in a television ad campaign featuring actress Kirstie Alley, who is trying to lose weight on the program. It will also run ads featuring consumers who have successfully lost weight with Jenny Craig, Parker said.

Weight Watchers, which recently began offering its clients a choice of two programs in an effort to expand its appeal, will also be promoting a new book, "Weight Loss for Life," which a spokeswoman said seeks to debunk the myths of dieting.

One of the myths in the book: "Calories don't matter — avoid fats or carbs to lose weight successfully," appears to take direct aim at low-carb diets.

Health club operator Bally Total Fitness Holding Corp. is also hoping one of its new TV ads, which features women in a salon discussing their failed dieting attempts, will strike a chord with disillusioned low-carb dieters, Chief Executive Paul Toback said in a telephone interview.

Chicago-based Bally is also partnering with Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut parent Yum Brands Inc. to offer free 4-week gym memberships to consumers looking to burn off 540-calorie helpings of Honey BBQ Wings or 370-calorie slices of Stuffed Crust pizza.

Atkins, which has been working to counter criticism that it is a fad diet, is also prepared with its own message of promoting long-term weight loss.

Atkins Nutritionals Inc., which is 80-percent owned by Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and private equity firm Parthenon Capital, said in a statement it is expecting "a surge in sales" in the beginning of 2005 and has a new ad campaign underscoring the high sugar content of rival packaged foods.

"The overwhelming message we would love people to take home is that the Atkins Nutritional Approach is a lifestyle to achieve permanent weight control," said Colette Heimowitz, the New York-based company's vice president of education and research.

"People need options. One size does not fit all, and that includes Atkins," she said. "Atkins is not for everybody."

Copyright 2004 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.

URL: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6773064/

[mhouck2003]

Sometimes I wonder where they get thier information. And as for the cereal and cookies, first off to me they tasted awlful and sometime would lead me to binge.

I think most of us tend to go towards the more natural foods like meats and veggies.

As for weight watchers, they are marketing their Core plan which can be made in to a low carb plan.

[GinaT1213]

I will keep my low carb stuff. Low fat stuff tastes like crap!

[stephanie34]

I love low carb and would never go back to low fat yuck.. Sometimes I enjoy a low carb product in a box or something but usually it is all natural for me. Veggies, meat, cheese, dairy, maybe some fruit once in a while like blueberries. This is a wonderful way to eat and i feel so much better. High carbs makes my brain hurt.

[Mandy]

Chicago-based Bally is also partnering with Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut parent Yum Brands Inc. to offer free 4-week gym memberships to consumers looking to burn off 540-calorie helpings of Honey BBQ Wings or 370-calorie slices of Stuffed Crust pizza.

Oh yeah that's gonna work! Maybe for the health club but not for the people eating that stuff and trying to lose weight.

[Mandy]

Most low-carb processed foods tastes like crap. No wonder the food industry failed with them. (Not to mention smart low-carb dieters don't eat much of them).

[TryingThisAgain]

Originally posted by Mandy
Most low-carb processed foods tastes like crap. No wonder the food industry failed with them. (Not to mention smart low-carb dieters don't eat much of them).

I agree, though I haven't tried to many of the lc processed foods available. People STILL don't understand what lcing is about. It's a shame. I eat more veggies now than I ever did. My meat intake hasn't changed that much at all.

Toodles!
Lenise

[Mandys mom]

Blah, blah, blah. Where do they get their number from, I wonder. With WW and JC you have to pay for the program so I can see how they'd get their numbers there but with Atkins, once you have the book (which you can borrow from a friend or get from the library) you don't need to pay for the program so how do "they" know how many people are low carbing??? I, for one, know more lc-ers now than ever before. As for the companies selling frankenfoods, they're just po'd because we're not playing into their plan, sure it's nice to have a treat every once in awhile but this WOE promotes natural wholesome foods, not styrofoam dressed up as a cookie
Personally, I don't give a rats patooty what "they" think. You know what the saying is, "as long as they're talking about me, they're leaving alone someone who cares".

Good luck in the new year everyone and [COLOR=red]STAY STRONG!!![/COLOR]

[Magicsmom]

I hope they continue to think that low-carbing is a thing of the past! That way, the price of eggs and cream will come back down. They've been price gouging us all year.

Terry

[KellyMarie38]

I hope that the low sugar juices like cranberry and apple stay available. I buy these for the kids and dh, they are made with splenda vs. sugar with approx 8 carbs per serving vs. like 24-30 per serving.



Kelly

[bkramer947]

I really hope that Atkins and other LC companies STRONGLY counter the anti-LC marketing blitz with anti-sugar advertising!

I know what I believe in - and I firmly believe in LC for life - but it hurts me to hear that others MALIGN this approach. I agree with the statement above - one size does not fit all!! Just don't knock LC until you know what you are talking about!!!

[full_of_dreams]

I agree with Mandys mom:

As for the companies selling frankenfoods, they're just po'd because we're not playing into their plan, sure it's nice to have a treat every once in awhile but this WOE promotes natural wholesome foods, not styrofoam dressed up as a cookie

I so bought into the LC foods in the beginning. After a while, I learned that alls it did was make my cravings return for more carbs. Bad idea! There are only a handful of LC items that I will continue to buy. Other than that, if it isn't LC naturally, or I can't make it myself, then I don't need it.

[Peskie]

Terry, I'm with you! BRING IT ON!!!

Lower prices for natural low carb foods in 2005!

We'll see.....

[mrsadm]

I work near the factory that produces many of the Atkins bake mixes. Last year there were what seems like 40-50 tractor trailer trucks parked and ready to be loaded. They clogged the local roads.

I think they over-expanded their production too quickly (along with every other low carb product producer).

Now we have Dreamfields pasta and CarbQuik baking mix, which really taste very good, so no wonder the Keto spaghetti and the Atkins baking mixes aren't selling.

[MCmom]

Yo-Yo dieting will still continue to be the most popular diet out there. Most people don't want to be on a "diet" in the first place, so they go on and off, switching plans whenever the mood strikes them. None of the people I know who were once LC'ing, are doing it now. One is doing WW'ers, but the rest are back to their old eating habits. It's a shame, but eating healthy seems to be a difficult challenge for the average person. That's what it's all about - eating healthy.

MaryC

[Edb]

I went on WW, Jenny Criag, Nurtisystem, et etc. I've gone them all, and it was basically donating to charity.

And although I lost on all of them, I could not sustain the loss on THEM either!

The reason being is that you have to keep calories low and be hungry for the rest of your life. I am MISERABLE when I am hungry. Most humans can't remain hungry and miserable for the rest of their lives.

[Magicsmom]

Originally posted by Edb
I went on WW, Jenny Criag, Nurtisystem, et etc. I've gone them all, and it was basically donating to charity.

And although I lost on all of them, I could not sustain the loss on THEM either!

The reason being is that you have to keep calories low and be hungry for the rest of your life. I am MISERABLE when I am hungry. Most humans can't remain hungry and miserable for the rest of their lives.

My sentiments exactly! With the exception of WW, all of the plans you mentioned they all involved buying their pre-packaged foods, and they actually tell you that in maintenance, you will have to continue to eat their pre-packaged food twice a week. It's a means to an end, not a way of life. The "end" being your goal weight, but you can't sustain it. If you're not in ketosis, 1000 calories a day leaves you feeling deprived, and the natural result is that you sow down after you stop their plan. What I like about low carbing is that it can become a way of eating for life if you want it to be.

Terry

[GentleGiant]

We are definately seeing a backlash from all the other kinds of diets, but this is the only diet program that has EVER worked for me. The number 1 reason? Loss of CRAVINGS.

As the food industry realizes that this is not a fad diet like the rest, and that there is a hard core of committed WOL eaters, they will come around and give us quality products like Carbquik and Dreamfields. It will just take them a while to learn that they will have to do the necessary R&D work to make something good, not just slap an LC label on whatever junk they can slap together.

[Sugar Patrol]

Now we have Dreamfields pasta and CarbQuik baking mix, which really taste very good, so no wonder the Keto spaghetti and the Atkins baking mixes aren't selling.

Exactly. The reason for the decline is not that LC eating is dying out, but because the products were no good. For instance, Splenda has reported that it can not keep up with demand, and so there will be a delay in the launch of new products containing Splenda.

I really hate that through all of this, the general public still knows next to nothing about low carbing and rely on the snotty and wildly inaccurate soundbites about it. LCing is not for everyone, but neither is low fat.

I totally agree with

Yo-Yo dieting will still continue to be the most popular diet out there. Most people don't want to be on a "diet" in the first place, so they go on and off, switching plans whenever the mood strikes them. None of the people I know who were once LC'ing, are doing it now

I totally agree with this statement too. It seems that most people want a quick fix and don't want to make any meaningful changes in their lives. One thing that always bothered me is that people often treated Atkins as this wonder diet, but the truth is, like any lifstyle change, it takes some discipline.

[JerseyGardenGirl]

One of the myths in the book: "Calories don't matter — avoid fats or carbs to lose weight successfully," appears to take direct aim at low-carb diets.

You know, to each their own, but I'm really started to get irritated by WW and JC. They just constantly feel the need to put down low carb in an effort to make themselves look? feel? better.

And I love the fact that on JC even after you get to goal (however long THAT takes) you must keep buying their food twice a week. Yeah, nice residual income for them, huh?
At least Atkins is genuinely trying to help people. Sure, they have the product line and Atkins Nutritional, but you CAN and many people DO follow this WOL without a single product.

[Sequim88]

People who will stay on LC for life are the ones who've "got religion" about it, so to speak. That is they simply refuse to eat certain things out of a deep rooted committment not to. Much like certain actual religions prohibit certain foods (be it pork, alcohol, caffeine, etc....) and the adherants of those followings faithfully abstain, for life. That's a faith based decision but for those who have taken a good hard look at the facts and research about lowering carbs the only rational decision is to stop eating what amounts to poison.

By our actions AND results the truth of LC will spread and take hold.

[Marbel]

A big ol' :eyeroll: to the whole article.

[astrl]

They're always trying to dress it up, but it probably comes down to the usual New Years resolutions. This, too, will pass.

Personally I couldn't care less what they want to bash about our WOE. We all know firsthand that it works and that's enough for me! They just don't like it because they can't profit from it.

astrl

[klawrence34]

As the article stated, one diet plan doesn't fit all. You can look at any diet plan and see lots of people who have lost lots of weight and kept it off.

The article is probably also correct in stating that the LC WOE is dying down - big business is out to make money and are not in the least concerned about people's health. If this was just a rumour, then the LC products would still be there and going strong. Whatever the next 'fad' (not saying LC is a fad) is, that's what you'll see being marketed in the stores, restaurants, etc.

[landis]

I am just SO glad I found this WOE. I probably would have struggled my whole life otherwise because I HATE lowfat!!!

[deborah2002]

I for one hope the "fad" DOES go away. There's a difference to commiting to something for life and doing something for 4 days. One will give results, the other will set you up for failure.
It'd be great to have some prices go down (never liked that nasty low carb box food) but man, sure wish Michelob Ultra was cheaper (I remember when they couldn't GIVE that stuff away and it was sooooooooooo cheap!)

deb

[KellyMarie38]

Diet firms hope to knock out low-carb craze>>

One day they will figure out that it is not a craze but a new, healthy way of eating for life. Someday.....
I'm just glad I figured it out earlier than later.



Kelly

[Blondyi40]

Weight Watchers and Jenny are just out to make money. They have no interest in stopping the obesity epidemic or people's health. And by the way the WW in my area is out to sell junk food right there in the lobby. Also I am sure that WW makes a ton of money on its frozen food etc in the grocery stores and the money from the meetings is just secondary. Why do u think they went so nuts when their stock went down last spring. The stockholders were losing money so WW had to react big time. It's a business pure and simple not a way of life. I had tried WW prob 5 times during my life and I only had about 15 lbs to lose and never lost ONE lb. The last time just b4 I came to Atkins..I went to WW for 3 months every single Sat I went to a worthless stupid boring demeaning (can u tellI don't like them) meeting. All that money, time and working out 4 times a week 3 hours at a time and OMG I did not lose an oz or inches. Not an OZ!!!!!!!! My "instuctor" and I use the term loosley...looked just as out of shape and overweight as the day I met her 15 yrs b4 this. Most of the people in the room were very obese and had been coming to meeting for an average of 8 years AGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! and looked just like they did when they started. THis was more of a social occasion than anthing else. Ok and this got me the most....the stupid instrutor gave out a bead if u lost a half a lb. Well I felt like I was back in school and didn't get a piece of candy cause I had not been good as since I never lost an oz. I did not get one. Also it was always my fault that I wasn't losing. That was really good for my self esteem. The whole experience was worthless plus the very few people Ihave seen who have lost on WW look unhealthy and lose from the top down and always end up looking like a pear. It also seems SO STUPID to give people smaller amounts of foods that they are addicted to and expect them to not gain all of the weight back when they go back eating "normal". I feel that any weight loss plan that u have to pay to do is not something one should be doing. Anytime money is involved it becomes corrupted ie: atkins nutritionals.
Climbing down off my soap box......

[MINDYMOUSE]

Originally posted by Mandy
Most low-carb processed foods tastes like crap. No wonder the food industry failed with them. (Not to mention smart low-carb dieters don't eat much of them).

That's what I was gonna say...

Too bad they don't mention that. But hey, Low Carb has'nt lost me and I don't think it will....

[Freckles]

Well, the cereal maker, General Mills, charged an outrageous price for the Momentum bars. I noticed you could get several boxes of any granola bar for the price of one box of the low carb bars. They're not willing to market them unless they can charge an arm and a leg.... Few low carbers can afford them and mainstream shoppers won't even try them at that price. No wonder their sales are less than expected. Who wants to pay almost $4 for a box of bars that taste terrrible (or take the chance?). Then there's the problem of hidden carbs, sugar alcohol blues, and sugar craving.