Until Health Canada rules on the legal definition of "low carb", "carb light", or any of the other names used to market food containing low carbohydrates, it’s "Buyer Beware" in the food isles.

It took Health Canada years to finally define "low fat" – and it appears it will be some time yet before there is any regulatory control of the "low carb" craze. Companies define the carb content of their food in many different ways, so do your homework if you want to compare brands.

For example, there is a confusing notion of net carbs. Some manufacturers subtract the "good" carbs (i.e. fibre, starch) from the bad ones (i.e. simple sugars) and advertise the difference. This may be a slippery slope because, some health officials insist, a carb is a carb is a carb. So net carbs are not the same as fewer carbs.

Watch low-carb foods for fat content, as the reduction in carbs sometimes means an increase in fat. Take Subway’s traditional 280-calorie sandwich for instance. It has about half the calories of the new "Atkin’s Friendly" chicken bacon wraps currently experiencing tremendous popularity among low-carb followers. If you truly want to have a healthy meal, order the traditional sandwich on the tortilla roll instead of the bun.

Carb Food Explosion – In the past three months, 586 new low-carb foods or beverages hit the shelves in grocery stores across North America. Last year (2003) there were 633 new low-carb foods introduced. In 2002 there were 339 new low-carb foods developed. Many of these low-carb foods are high-priced foods. Be a savvy shopper if you’re a low-carb follower, or you’ll be a lot poorer.

How Carbs Work – Carbs are broken down by the body into a variety of sugars that course through the blood stream and serve as the body’s key source of energy. White breads, some pastas and potatoes earn a bad rap because they are simple carbs that are very quickly broken down into sugar in the body. Most excess sugar (like excess fat or protein) is stored in your body as bodyfat. Some fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains on the other hand, are also carbs, but they are complex ones that break down slowly and are rich in vitamins, minerals and especially fibre. A diet rich in fibre can lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Complex carbs make you feel fuller, faster, so a diet rich in carbs (complex carbs) can be very healthy – contrary to what Atkins, South Beach, and the Protein Power diets (to mention just a few) suggest.

(excerpts from June 7, 2004 edition of Time)