U.S. flour consumption hits record low

WASHINGTON -- The popular low-carbohydrate Atkins diet has helped millions of people lose pounds, but U.S. grain farmers think the weight is coming off their wallets, not their bellies.

Countless Americans have been attracted to the diet developed by Dr. Robert C. Atkins because, contrary to the medical establishment's low-fat, high-carbohydrate mantra, it allows people to eat fat. People become overweight, Atkins said, because they consume refined carbohydrates that their bodies can't use.

Using Atkins' approach, people can eat bacon, eggs, even prime rib -- so long as they avoid refined carbohydrates, meaning sugar, corn syrup and especially white flour. His books sold 15 million copies, and his most recent, "Atkins for Life," remains on The New York Times best-seller list.

Meanwhile, flour consumption in the United States has plummeted to record lows. Domestic use of flour has dropped for two years running, something that hasn't happened since the 1950s, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Producers and milling companies believe the Atkins approach is the culprit.

"Flour consumption has been on a decline the last couple of years, and it seems to be predominantly because of an assault on carbohydrates," said Dave Green, director of quality control for ADM Milling in Overland Park, Kan.

"To me, it becomes anecdotal. I can't imagine you don't know anybody who hasn't lost weight on a high-protein diet," said Green, who also heads the U.S. Wheat Quality Council Board of Trustees.

Fifty-six percent of U.S. grocery shoppers said in a recent Gallup Organization survey they believe high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets help people lose weight, although three-quarters of those surveyed thought they were difficult to maintain in the long term.

"It's not our fault that 64 percent of the population is overweight," said Colette Heimowitz, director of education and research at Atkins Health and Medical Information Services. "In order to lose weight, one of the ways is to cut back on carbohydrates. In order to do that, you need to cut back on white flour, white sugar and processed grains."

Whole grains down, too

Heimowitz pointed out that the Atkins diet encourages eating whole grains in certain phases of the program.

However, consumption of whole grains is down, too. USDA says most people's diets fall far short of the three daily servings recommended by the agency's Food Guide Pyramid.

Atkins died Thursday, several days after a fall on an icy sidewalk caused a severe head injury. His approach has been vindicated in recent months, when a half-dozen studies showed people on the Atkins diet lost weight without compromising their health.

On the Atkins diet, up to two-thirds of calories may come from fat -- more than double the usual recommendation, and violating what medical professionals have long believed about healthy eating. Atkins argued that carbohydrates make susceptible people pump out too much insulin, which in turn encourages them to put on fat.

The average person ate less than 139 pounds of flour last year, the first time in nine years the average dropped below 140 pounds, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Meanwhile, the nation is consuming meat at record highs. The average American eats 195 pounds of red meat, poultry or fish each year, according to the Agriculture Department. That's 57 pounds more than in the 1950s.

Wheat is the most common source of flour for bread, pasta and other sources of complex carbohydrates. One 60-pound bushel of wheat makes 42 pounds of flour, which is enough for 73 one-pound loaves of bread.

Kansas leads the nation in wheat production, followed closely by South Dakota. Oklahoma, Texas, Washington and Montana are the other top producers.

Too many calories

Judi Adams, a registered dietitian who heads the Wheat Foods Council, said perceptions are disturbing. Adams pointed out obesity rates are lower in Italy, Germany and China, which consume more pasta, bread or rice than Americans do.

"When you look at it from a common-sense approach, you cannot blame it on carbohydrates," she said. "We're eating too many calories."

The Gallup survey of 1,000 shoppers was done last November and December for the Wheat Foods Council and the American Bakers Association. Some results were contradictory -- for example, 70 percent said that depriving themselves of carbohydrate-rich foods is unhealthy.

Adams also pointed out that grain foods are enriched with vitamins, particularly folic acid, which is key to preventing serious birth defects.

"It is important that we increase our consumption of whole grains," she said. "But there have not been any studies that show refined carbs are harmful. That's absolutely not the truth, that refined carbs are bad for you."

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On the Net:

Wheat Foods Council: www.wheatfoods.org

Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine: atkinscenter.com

U.S. Department of Agriculture: www.usda.gov