I am intrigued by the effect of Atkins and other low-carb diets on the sales of food products.
James Glassman does a nice piece on it today in NRO Financial.
Can investors profit from the low-carb craze?While the Atkins diet has its detractors, who often caricature it as a frivolous, all-you-can-eat, steak-and-martini regimen, it has clearly changed the way Americans eat. Sales of eggs, which are condemned in low-fat diets for being high in cholesterol, have surged. Sales of orange juice, which Atkins followers avoid because it contains 26 grams of carbs per cup, have fallen. Sales of Diet Pepsi (0 grams of carbohydrates) are up 7.6 percent, while sales of regular Pepsi (39 grams per can) are down 1.8 percent.
Thanks to the invisible hand, this means additional variety and availability of low carb foods -- go Adam Smith!
Posted by jk at January 22, 2004 10:49 AMBesides, what's the matter with a "frivolous, all-you-can-eat, steak-and-martini regimen" -- that's a bad thing?
Posted by: jk at January 22, 2004 10:51 AMI've lost about 30 pounds on Atkins. Sign me up for the streak and give my martini to jk. I love this diet. Not just the weight lost but I thought I had all kinds of terrible stomach stuff. I was addicted to sugar. I abused sugar in ways that would kill most people. At one time I was up to 13 teaspoons on sugar in a cup of coffee. Would you like some coffee with your cream and sugar? Just sugar is fine.
Atkins made me give it up. I had to go on a pre-induction because I was worried about going into withdrawal. I was a sugar junkie!! I gave up all sugar for a week before I could even start induction.
I can never go back. It means hypertension. Yes, Dr. Atkin's diet gave me back regular blood pressure. Not a bad reason to stay on it.
Bravo to you both, any diet that works is a good diet. I have just one complaint, low-carb beer. I have to tip my hat to John Galt and agree that beer should be an absolute, a drink for the pure pleasure of taste. No lite beer or low carb for me, thanks.
Posted by: Silence Dogood at January 22, 2004 03:52 PMSilence, have you seen the latest commercial? "I CAN'T TASTE MY BEER! I CAN'T TASTE MY BEER!" If I'm not mistaken, it's a Miller Lite commercial. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!
Posted by: johngalt at January 22, 2004 08:45 PMJohn,
I have and I agree. They shouldn't even get to call themselves beer. If you can see through the glass it is not real beer.
Posted by: Silence Dogood at January 23, 2004 08:49 AMLeft, Right, Center -- but we all agree on the badness of commercial beer. I'll confess to having the occasional Michelob Ultra. It's fun to pretend that you're drinking a beer.
After having a Guiness in Dublin, though, I will not violate my taste with Ultra for a long time.
Posted by: jk at January 23, 2004 04:56 PMI can't condemn you for TRYING Michelob Ultra, but one taste was probably enough, wasn't it?
To enjoy exceptional taste with low carbs is the reason why NED invented single malt Scotch whiskey. Start with Glenlivet 12yr and then explore from there. My current favorite is Balvenie Doublewood 12yr. As Pete Townsend said, "Just a little is enough."
Posted by: johngalt at January 25, 2004 12:27 PMYes, Pete and his band have always been the picture of abstemious behavior...
I did move to scotch from beer when I went on Atkins. Glenmorangie is my favorite so far. I have yet to master the ability to nurse a couple scotches as long as I can a couple of beers.
Oh well, practice, practice, practice!
Posted by: jk at January 25, 2004 04:11 PMAnd you thought Atkins was just a diet. Little did you know that it is an economic development tool. Low carb beer and food are hot sellers. Proof again that the government doesn't need to be in the nutrition business?
Posted by: Silence Dogood at January 26, 2004 09:04 AM