The average American's sweet tooth is very much alive -- even if he or she doesn't eat foods containing real sugar or high fructose corn syrup.
That's right. Sales of low-sugar and low-fat candies in the U.S. quadrupled between 2000 and 2004, reports a new study, " Market Trends: Diet Candy -- The World of Low-Sugar, Low-Carb and Low-Calorie Confection."
Last year alone, consumers forked over an estimated $495 million in diet candy, compared with $118 million four years earlier, according to the report from Packaged Facts, a division of Rockville, Md.-based MarketResearch.com.
That's one hot trend -- but one that I do not welcome.
You might be wondering: "What do you mean, Connie, you talk a lot about the health hazards of eating too much sugar. Why aren't you happy that more and more folks are turning to diet products? ? After all, many people obviously eat them to lose weight, as The Washington Post observed.
You see, while researching and writing my book SUGAR SHOCK!, members of my free online KickSugar group kept asking me about artificial sweeteners. "Are they safe? Do they trigger a rise in blood sugar levels? Will I lose weight while eating or drinking them?"
The average American's sweet tooth is very much alive -- even if he or she doesn't eat foods containing real sugar or high fructose corn syrup.
That's right. Sales of low-sugar and low-fat candies in the U.S. quadrupled between 2000 and 2004, reports a new study, " Market Trends: Diet Candy -- The World of Low-Sugar, Low-Carb and Low-Calorie Confection."
Last year alone, consumers forked over an estimated $495 million in diet candy, compared with $118 million four years earlier, according to the report from Packaged Facts, a division of Rockville, Md.-based MarketResearch.com.
That's one hot trend -- but one that I do not welcome.
You might be wondering: "What do you mean, Connie, you talk a lot about the health hazards of eating too much sugar. Why aren't you happy that more and more folks are turning to diet products? ? After all, many people obviously eat them to lose weight, as The Washington Post observed.
You see, while researching and writing my book SUGAR SHOCK!, members of my free online KickSugar group kept asking me about artificial sweeteners. "Are they safe? Do they trigger a rise in blood sugar levels? Will I lose weight while eating or drinking them?"