Atkins diet slims Unilever sales

Change in U.S. dieting habits hurt Slim.Fast foods

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AMSTERDAM, July 30 — Unilever, which had hedged its bets by selling both fatty ice creams and Slim.Fast dieting products, said on Wednesday the Atkins diet of crusading cardiologist Robert Atkins has eaten into revenues.

ANTHONY BURGMANS, DUTCH co-chairman of the food-to-detergents group, said U.S. sales of its low-fat Slim.Fast foods had disappointed in the first half of the year.

“That is because of a change in dieting behaviour in the U.S... because of the Dr. Atkins diet which has a different basis than Slim.Fast,” Burgmans told Reuters.

Atkins, who died in April this year aged 72, launched a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet plan in the 1970s.

The diet, ridiculed for 30 years as against orthodox medical opinion, has turned into a hot trend with media reports saying celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt were among those following the eating plan.

But Unilever is striking back. The maker of Ben & Jerry’s and Magnum ice cream has now launched Slim.Fast ice cream.

“I believe that will be very attractive,” Burgmans said, adding the group would offer Slim.Fast pastas too.

Slim.fast sales in the second half are seen “much better” than in the first, he said.

Boo-hoo.

Even before I heard of low-carbing, I was smart enough to know that I could save money by just buying a box of Nestle Quik and a bottle of vitamins instead of Slimfast.

I'd be more impressed, not to mention hysterically happy, if they were going to make low carb Ben and Jerry's ice cream!!!

Karla

so would i karla.
i,ve tried the slimfast diet, i thought it was crap,i was hungry all the time.

Doesn't it bug anyone that they totally fail to mention all the studies coming out to say Atkins works and instead imply most people are simply emulating celebrities.

Personally I feel very insulted by the implication that aping a celebrity is my sole motivation for adopting a diet

I would do anything to let the ice cream makers know that fat is ok, just take out the sugar!
Why is all the no sugar ice cream also low fat?!

Kristine you crack me up! I think I actually tried that once....All slim fast and instant breakfast really is, is a nestle quick with a centrum...lol

I've never really liked low carb ice creams, any of brand. But my friend gave me a recipe that I liked, and my kids liked. One can of pineapple juice, one envelope of sugar free jello, and one tub of sugar free cool whip. Bring the pineapple juice to a boil, and stir in the jello until dissolved. Allow to cool, then in a large bowl, mix w/ cool whip. I lkie to stick mine in the freezer after that , it gives it ice cream consistincy, w/ alot of flavor

With the sugar free cool whip. Out of the freezer. SOOO good.

Too funny. My husband mentioned the same thing. Chocolate milk with vitamins. Please!

they used to. it was vanilla swiss almond carb karma, and while it didn't have the same rich texture as regular ben & jerry's( it was slightly lighter and thinner) but after the first couple of bites i couldn't tell the difference.

unfortunately they stopped making it... it's in the dead flavors, along with "from russia with buzz" *sigh*.

Does anyone else think it's funny that the second ingredient listed on the "sugar free" Cool Whip is corn syrup? And that it has more carbs per 9oz serving than the regular stuff (3 vs 2)?

Haven't eaten it in a while. I think I started buying the red lid. (Whipped?) instead of the lighter kind. NO, it didn't make sense.

I used to eat my friends Slim Fast bars when I was at her house when I weighed 115lbs just cause they tasted like candy bars to me