OMAHA, Neb. -- The new year means new diets, but one diet fad seems to be losing popularity.
Low-carbohydrate diets were hot at this time last year, but this year, they seem to be on the way out, reported television station KETV in Omaha.
One store dedicated to low-carb products in Omaha has closed. Castus shut its door recently, and Wild Oats grocery stores have removed most of their low-carb specialty options.
"We found that the quality of the products and the consistency of the products weren't up to standards, people that bought it once didn't buy it again," said Jaysen Pauley, with Wild Oats.
Pauley said low-carb product sales peaked in the spring and pretty much stopped selling altogether by summer.
Doctors are seeing the same trend.
"Like so many diets, they'll work well for about six months," said Dr. Armour Forse, with Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha. "That's about the average time, and then people start to see that the weight-loss plateaus."
The owners of Castus said the low-carb diet might have faded, but they still believe it is the most practical diet out there. The said they closed because their approach wasn't right for the market.
Wild Oats has another theory.
"The low-carb craze is officially dead," Pauley said.
Forse said that for any diet to be successful, exercise is key.
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