Magazine: "Breadbasket" cities not as friendly as coasts when it comes to low-carb lifestyle.
April 22, 2004: 11:31 AM EDT



NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - People looking for the low-carb lifestyle should head toward big cities on the coasts rather than the "breadbasket" in the Midwest, according to a new ranking of America's top 10 low-carb cities.

The list was compiled by LowCarbiz Magazine, a new business-to-business publication focused on the low-carb and reduced-carb industries.

The magazine said metropolitan areas that make its list, "offer easy access to an abundance of low-carbohydrate products, restaurants with low-carb menu items, health practitioners supportive of carb-cutting regimens and a local culture generally conducive to exercise and health."

The metropolitan areas that made the list, in alphabetical order: Dallas/Fort Worth; Indianapolis; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Miami; New York; Phoenix; Portland, Ore.; San Francisco; and Seattle.

The magazine said in compiling the list that it relied heavily on statistics such as the number of low-carb retail outlets in a market and the number of low-carb products on store shelves. It also used subjective measures, such as interviewing well-traveled low-carb industry leaders on their impressions of various markets.



http://money.cnn.com/2004/04/22/new...wcarb/index.htm

Very interesting! I'm glad I live in the ONE Midwestern city cited.

Related Article:

Indy ranks as 'nirvana' of low-carb lifestyles
http://www.indystar.com/articles/6/140806-3806-052.html
New magazine picks the top 10 locales for dieters; eateries, stores help city earn its spot.


By J.K. Wall
jk.wall~indystar.com
April 24, 2004

Hoosiers may be fatter than most, but it seems they're also trying harder to slim down.

While 24 percent of Hoosiers are obese -- the fifth-highest total in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- Indianapolis ranked as one of 10 hot spots for following a low-carb lifestyle.

The national ranking came in the premiere issue of LowCarbiz Magazine, which went on sale last week. The magazine looked for cities of "low-carb nirvana" -- easy access to lots of low-carbohydrate food, low-carb items at restaurants, health practitioners supportive of carb-cutting and a culture conducive to health and exercise.

"I'm really surprised to see little Indianapolis on the list," said Kari Nance, owner of the Low Carb Lifestyle Market & Dessert Cafe, one of at least six independent low-carb stores to open in Indianapolis in the past year. "Maybe because Indiana is one of the fattest states, we're trying to make that change."

The presence of such independent shops and bakeries was a key factor in Indy's honor, said Olivia Mayer, editor and co-publisher of LowCarbiz, based in Denver. She said Indianapolis supermarkets also carry low-carb items, and many people in Central Indiana are on low-carb diets. Indianapolis is also a prime market for Carbolite Foods, the Evansville manufacturer of low-carb products.

Indianapolis ranked with Dallas/Fort Worth, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Phoenix, Portland, Ore., San Francisco and Seattle.