Well said Christine.

The problem with frankenfood is not necessarily determined by their percentage of "franken" to "food". I mean, that obviously something made with real ingredients like gluten floor and nut flour is better than something loaded with ingredients only found in a laboratory.

However, one must remember a fact that is frequently overlooked. If you do Atkins properly, without any of the low-carb substitutes, your diet will be filled with wholesome, nutrient-dense food: Meat, fat, vegetable, cheese and nuts. I personally believe that the good health that is reported to be increased by following Atkins is that, for the first time ever for many people, you are finally feeding your body the nutrients it needs.

Frankenfood are most often than not, almost void, of nutrients. Each time you eat a frankenfood you are displacing a potentially nutrient-dense food from your diet.

On a small scale, I suppose it doesn't matter so much. But if this trend continues you will be soon be able to totally convert your former nutritionally deficient diet of low-fat filler food to a nutritionally-deficient low-carb filler food. A low-carb bar for breakfast, washed down with a diet soda. Low-carb sanwich with low-carb doritos and washed down with diet soda for lunch. Low-carb macaroni 'n cheese from a box for supper. Maybe later you'll have low-carb ice cream for dessert. See where I am getting at ? How many people do you reckon will end up eating like that.

The problem, in my opinion, is the message that is going out focuses too much on what NOT to eat and not enough on what TO eat. Yes refined carbs are bad. However whole food are good and that message seems weak and overshadowed by the carb is bad message.

Here is a radical thought. Looking at other cultures who are both healthier and slimmer (think France) but still consume a fair amount of carbs ... maybe it's not so much the amount of carbs you are consuming but the percentage of real food to refined crap in your diet.