NPR for North Texas
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

The Low-Carb Economy: A Force To Be Reckoned With

By Maxine Shapiro, KERA 90.1 business commentator

Dallas, TX – In just three days, we Americans will stuff ourselves with more starch in one meal than most of us eat the rest of the year. Or will we? It's all about low-carbohydrates, and the low-carb economy is something to be reckoned with. I'm Maxine Shapiro with KERA Marketplace Midday.

My gosh. I remember just a few years ago being harassed for watching my carb intake. For health reasons and by choice, I now eat a more balanced diet - which include the good carbohydrates. Haven't had a Twinkie in about 30 years. Now I'm being made to feel guilty when I indulge in a nice organic baked potato.

Industry watchers say anywhere from 15 million to 30 million people are now high-protein, low carb dieters. I know of a thousand right off the bat. You've got to think it's closer to the 30 million mark when you consider 480 new low-carb products were introduced just this year! And the man who started it all in 1972 - Dr. Robert Atkins and his dynasty - have seen $14 million in annual revenue grow to a $200 million annual empire. I think it's higher. In fact, analysts predict the whole low-carb economy will spiral from a meager $2 billion industry to $15 billion by 2005.

Forgive the pun, but this is definitely a cash cow and the cattle industry loves it. Last year, almost 64.5 pounds of beef were consumed per customer. That totals $60 billion, up from $15 billion during the 90's. And according to the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, cattle prices are up 50 percent from a mere year ago. So you commodity watchers are well aware that cattle prices reached a new record high of $1.20 per 100 pounds of live weight. And restaurants can't raise their prices because we'll stop going. So the fat's been cut off of their profit margins.

Turkey prices, on the other hand, are the lowest they've been in three years. And it's high-protein. For KERA Marketplace Midday, I'm Maxine Shapiro.

 

Marketplace Midday Reports air on KERA 90.1 Monday - Friday at 1:04 p.m.

Email Maxine Shapiro about this story.