Next Diet Trend: Low GI ?

This UK article takes a punt on the next diet trend - "low Glycemic Index". Pointing out the rapidly declining low carb trend:

According to data from ACNielsen LabelTrends, sales of "carb conscious" products by U.S. merchandisers, excluding Wal-Mart Stores, fell 10.5 percent to $531 million (276.48 million pounds) in the fourth quarter of 2004, compared to the previous quarter.

Some trend watchers say the likely new trend for the United States, which could have an impact on food and drink producers, is the "low-G" index already popular in Australia, where it began, and in Europe -- if consumers can get their heads around the word "glycemic."

The article gives the reason for slow adoption of the GI in the US:

U.S. nutritionists do not appear to have bought into the low-glycemic trend to the same extent as colleagues in Europe and Australia, in part because the measure is not as easy to explain, or use, as other guidelines for healthy eating.

I would look further than the GI and look towards the Glycemic Load (GL). The GI is too simplistic - would you avoid eating carrots because they have a very high GI rating? While the GI has been very useful as a tool for diabetics, it doesn't necessarily correlate to obesity.

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