KFC claims fried chicken is an Atkins-friendly food

By Maxine Frith, Social Affairs Correspondent

29 October 2003

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The fast food giant KFC has become the latest - and most unlikely - company to exploit the huge popularity of the Atkins Diet.

The fried chicken brand launched an advertising campaign to persuade consumers that eating its meals can help them slim. The campaign, airing in the US this week, boasts that KFC's secret recipe for chicken is the perfect low-carbohydrate, high-protein choice for Atkins slimmers. Advertisements feature two men who bump into each other, with one exclaiming: "Man, you look fantastic!" Asked for the secret of his great look, the other reveals: "Eatin' chicken." A voiceover explains: "If you're going low-carb, high-protein, go KFC."

The Atkins Diet, now a global dieting brand, advocates cutting out carbohydrates and eating more protein such as meat in order to slim.

Only the small print of the advertisement admits that fried chicken is "not a low-fat, low-sodium, low-cholesterol food".

The "Atkins effect" has boosted sales of steak, fish and cheese in the UK, while bakers and potato merchants have reported falling profits.