Sugar’s future isn’t looking so sweet.
Dieters in search of the Holy Grail of weight loss have already cut the carbs. Now, food companies are taking a swing at sugar.
A host of new sodas, doughnuts and juices promising a reduction of the sweet stuff is on the way to a supermarket near you.
Tropicana recently introduced a new juice with less sugar and fewer calories than regular OJ.
Pepsi is bringing out a soda called Pepsi Edge, which has half the sugar of a regular Pepsi, and Coke is planning to introduce a so-called midcalorie cola drink. Jamba Juice is rolling out low-sugar, lower-calorie smoothies in Chicago this month.
Even Krispy Kreme is getting in on the action, announcing the development of a doughnut for dieters and diabetics that has less sugar than its original sweet treat. It’s set to debut at the end of the year.
As a nation constantly struggling with our weight, we’ve seen lots of foods promising health benefits come and go. We’ve done low-fat (remember fat-free Snackwell cookies–and how easy it was to eat the whole box?), low-sodium, low-cholesterol and our latest obsession, low-carb. Now sugar is getting the boot.
Sugar faces a double battle in our current food culture, says John Stanton, a professor of food marketing at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. First, sugar is a type of carbohydrate, which is avoided by those following the Atkins or South Beach diets. Second, sugar’s attracting some negative attention through the obesity debate in America because of the empty calories it adds to sodas, desserts and other foods that can pack on the pounds.
Sugar comes in various forms–fructose, a simple sugar from fruit; sucrose, processed table sugar; and high-fructose corn syrup, a highly sweet substance that flavors sodas and some other foods. Nutritionists say we get most of our sugar from high-fructose corn syrup and table sugar in candy and desserts, but all types of sugar are getting cut in the new low-sugar products.
“I think we’re going to see more of low-sugar options,” Stanton said. American consumers are fickle, he said, but “the obesity issue in America is big enough and serious enough that it’s going to get a little more action than some of the other trends.”
By offering lower-sugar, lower-calorie options, food companies can protect themselves in several ways, Stanton said. If they get sued for causing someone’s obesity, they can argue that they provided healthy options
that the overweight person didn’t choose. And they can keep some of their customers who decide to get serious about losing weight and who might want to eliminate the full-sugar products from their diets.
“They’re worried people will abandon them and say, ‘I just have to stop eating those Krispy Kremes,’ ” Stanton said.
At Jamba Juice, brand manager Peter Wink says the company is hoping to bring in new customers who have stayed away from the company’s fruit drinks because of their calories or sugar content.
Jamba’s new Enlightened Smoothies have two-thirds less fruit juice (which has more sugar than fruit), more fresh fruit and a different base that uses artificial sweetener Splenda instead of frozen yogurt or sorbet, both of which contain sugar.
“We’re really expecting to get people in, get people on this healthy routine,” Wink said. “Now they can have one and feel good about themselves. That’s what it’s about–making people feel good.”
Jamba says they’ve been developing the low-sugar smoothies for about two years. Wink predicts this will be a high-growth area, and the company is planning to promote the low-sugar product with bus ads, radio and a direct mail marketing blitz.
Tropicana also says it was developing its Light ‘n Healthy juice before the low-carb craze hit. The juice reduces its sugar and calories by using fewer fruit solids, more water and some artificial sweetener.
Arlene Sanoy, a dietitian at Rush University Medical Center, says it’s a good trend for some products such as soda to cut down on sugar and calories, but she’s not sure the new lower-sugar products will make a dent in Americans’ weight problem.
Much like the people who ate a whole box of non-fat cookies or an entire bag of no-fat chips, there’s the possibility that people buying low-sugar products could end up eating more and consuming the same amount of calories as before.
“I think the real message people need is to cut down on portion sizes,” Sanoy said.
Losing weight and maintaining a healthy one is about cutting down on the calories consumed, she said.
If people can cut down on the amount of regular soda or juice they drink, they should be fine with the regular product instead of a modified one.
That’s not an easy message to sell, though. Fad diets are popular because Americans are looking for a quick fix for their weight problems, she said.
“The weight didn’t go on overnight,” Sanoy said. But “everyone expects it to come off overnight.”
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Comparing all the diets
Is South Beach that much different from Atkins? And how are they different than The Zone? For those of us who have a hard time keeping the current “in” diet plans straight, here’s a breakdown from the American Dietetic Association.
Atkins: Restricts carbohydrates, including fruits and vegetables and whole grains, and focuses on proteins. Program says this will alter body’s metabolism so it will burn stored fat and build muscle mass. Revised plan from 2001 is a little more liberal with maintenance.
The Zone: Complex eating plan that promotes “balanced nutritional approach.” Each meal is divided into 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent proteins and 30 percent fats.
South Beach: Based on the idea that the faster sugars are digested, the more weight is gained. Has three phases. For first two weeks, carbohydrates are banned, while normal portions of meat, shellfish, vegetables and eggs are allowed. Second phase reintroduces “good carbs.” Third phase allows dieters to eat almost anything in moderation.
Sugar Busters: Basic theory is that all sugars, including ones from complex carbohydrates and starches, are toxic because they cause the body to produce too much insulin. According to diet,
excess insulin makes us store sugar as fat. The diet plan has a list of acceptable foods, such as whole grain breads, and foods to avoid.
For more from ADA, go to www.eatright.org.
REDEYE
