“Low-Carbohydrate” Food Facts and Fallacies

Abstract

Ten years ago, weight-conscious Americans jumped on the fat-free bandwagon. Supermarket shelves were replete with products touting “reduced-fat” and “fat-free” labels, which implied that these products were healthier and lower-calorie alternatives to standard “high-fat” fare. Yet, in the same 10-year time interval, Americans have continued to struggle with ever-expanding waistlines, gaining an average of 1 lb/year.1 The prevalence of type 2 diabetes has risen simultaneously.2 Thirty-eight percent of our population is currently attempting to lose weight.3 The latest trend in the highly lucrative, yet often fickle, diet industry is a resurgence of low-carbohydrate, high-protein, high-fat diets. Findings of a February 2004 survey by A.C. Nielsen, a leading market information company, revealed that 17.2% of households included someone on a low-carbohydrate diet. Slightly more, 19.2%, included someone who had tried a low-carb diet but had quit.4 This current diet trend directly counters the decade-old focus on low-fat diets and implicates carbohydrates as the culprit in America's obesity problem. In response to the low-carb resurgence, food manufacturers have rapidly revised food products and package claims to seemingly reduce the carbohydrate content of their products and increase consumer demand for them. Restaurant menus have incorporated purportedly low-carb entrees to accommodate demand for low-carb meals away from home. Aggressive marketing schemes imply that these products are healthier alternatives to standard high-carb fare and that they promote weight loss. For individuals with diabetes who are counting carbohydrates or attempting to lose weight, the current marketplace can be a source of a great deal of misinformation, cause considerable confusion, and possibly affect glycemic control. Many food manufacturers have created their own terminology for carbohydrate content that they claim has minimal effect on blood glucose. They suggest that consumers subtract carbohydrate contributed from sugar alcohols, fiber, and glycerin from the total carbohydrate value …