Quite true, but the population of this forum isn't a good cross section of low carbers in general. We are the affluent and the conscientious. What about when the fad-chasers hop on board? And those who simply aren't literate and/or media/product savvy and/or intelligent enough to be able to put together a good plan?

My cousin is an example. Her kids are overweight already. Her son asked for some candy. Mom said no. He asked, "so can I have Cheez-its instead? They're healthy, right?" She said yes, they were. It was ten pm and half an hour later, he was wired for sound. Now she's not stupid, but this is the average person's understanding of nutrition.

I think Katz could be right. It's already happening. People think they're low carbing by eating a little less sugar and flour, and buying "the LC diet food." It would be really nice if they were used responsibly, but I seriously doubt the food companie$ will be satisfied with that. They want sales, and why should they limit themselves to those of us who really know what we're doing? I'd have to guess that for every one of us who knows to emphasize the unprocessed food, there are five who desperately want to believe that they can have their cake and eat it, too; and would rather have boxed products than learn to cook, let alone bother eating vegetables.

Arguably, low fat was the same way: there were those who were conscientious about their food choices and ate loads of vegetables and unprocessed food. But what really took over the low fat movement? Snackwells and their equivalents. Junk food. I wish I believed otherwise, but I honestly think profit will be more important than "responsible use" and people will be duped into loading up on them.

I think the only difference is that it was way easier to make low fat food than it is to make low carb food, and the former, being loaded with sugar, was downright addictive, as many of us found the hard way.