Is Low-Carb Dead Or Not?

I wish the media would make up its mind.

Most days they are spreading doom and gloom about how the "fad" of the "low carb craze" has ended, but them along comes a headline like this from the Globe and Mail:

"Low Carb Craze Slims Weston Profit"

The story focuses on a chain of supermarket stores called Loblaw Cos. Ltd. (I've never hear of them before, but it may be another popular supermarket chain similar to Food Lion, Winn-Dixie or BI-LO) which are owned by George Weston Ltd.

Interestingly, they blame part of their 17.4% sales plummet in the first quarter on being especially "hit hard by the low-carbohydrate diet craze."

Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait just a minute. How can this be? I thought low-carb participation had dipped to its lowest level ever and hardly anyone is doing it as their lifestyle anymore. Isn't that what we're being fed day after day after day in the media?

Then how does a company that sells high-carbohydrate, sugar-infested foods get away with blaming his losses on "the low-carboyhdrate diet craze" if nobody's on them? Furthermore, how does the media look itself in the mirror and print an article like this one and the next day declare "Atkins is finished"? These two theories mix together about as well as oil and water.

A Weston spokesperson said: "Staying ahead of consumers' desires and requirements is our challenge, and we are changing to be able to do this profitably."

Let me give this overpaid supermarket giant a little hint that may help him achieve his goal of giving customers what they are looking for. Here it is: KEEP CARRYING LOW-CARB ITEMS THAT PEOPLE WANT! The problem with companies like Weston and others is they have bought EVERYTHING that the food companies have put out labeled "low-carb."

Now you and I both know that most of these foods couldn't get away with calling themselves that if they were manufactured by a reputable low-carb company, such as Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. The hidden sugars and extra carbs in so many of these allegedly "low-carb" foods make me sick when I see them on the supermarket shelves. Get rid of those products and replace them with ones that people who are livin' la vida low-carb can really use.

In an explanation to its investors regarding the tremendous sales drop by Weston, the financial report said it would be cutting 1,100 bakery jobs when it closes down two U.S. biscuit factories because the lack of bread sales have contributed heavily to the loss of profit.

But Weston himself admitted: "The company's biggest challenge remains its baked sweet-goods operations, a business hit hard by the low-carb diet craze."

If a company like Weston is seeing a decline in the sale of sweet baked goods, then what should that tell you? Obviously people are buying less cinnamon buns, cakes, and pies than they used to. But why? What could cause such a drastic decline?

Gee, I wonder. Could it be the "low-carb craze" isn't over yet? And don't expect for it to end anytime soon either!