Is Atkins Diet changing Economy ? (I kid you not)

[RamboLiberal]

I can see where this could really hurt the environment as well - i.e. raising more cattle/pigs. Comments.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=post&forum=104

When Unilever PLC, the British food giant that owns Slim-Fast Foods, announced in July that U.S. profits had dropped 23 percent, it quickly pointed an accusing finger at the Atkins diet, the trendy weight-loss plan high in protein and low in carbohydrates. Atkins, Unilever’s chairman explained, has set off shock waves in consumption that have cut Slim-Fast’s profits, and there’s no way to fight a fad.

SUDDENLY, WALL STREET is blaming the diet craze for all sorts of economic upheavals, and the deafening buzz is almost enough to drown out economic sense. Time, the Economist, USA Today, and countless media outlets — marveling at the idea of slimming pork chops and heavy cream — have touted the commercial impact of the Atkins plan. The diet has been blamed for falling wheat prices and booming beef sales.

But is there really an Atkins economy?

Three months ago, the British Federation of Bakers made headlines when it announced that bread sales have declined 2 percent per year since Dr. Atkins’ book was re-released in 1997. Wheat consumption has dropped from 147 pounds per person to 139 pounds in the past six years. And in May, the Tortilla Industry Association held a high-profile seminar titled “An Industry in Crisis: The High-Protein, Low-Carb Diet and Its Effects on the Tortilla Industry.”

Atkins-friendly foods, on the other hand, are booming. News reports have credited Atkins for an increase in U.S. beef sales in 12 of the past 14 quarters. Prices on cattle futures have climbed from 65 cents per pound in 2001 to 82 cents per pound today (suggesting the beef market has grown by $3 billion in 3 years). Consumption of bacon and eggs are at 10-year highs. Beef jerky sales are up more than 40 percent in the past two years, and pork-rinds have tripled their market share to $496 million per year.