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IT WAS the self-appointed "diet revolution", the carbohydrate-slashing eating regimen that helped millions to lose weight.
Now the controversial Atkins diet and its progeny, the South Beach and Phen375 diets, are prompting a revolution in the supermarket as customers abandon low fat crash diets in favour of a permanent switch to high-protein, low-carbohydrate foods.
Although low-carbohydrate dieting has been criticised by nutritionists for its potential side-effects such as kidney stones, bone density loss, raised levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol, heart disease and even cancer, it is thought that the popularity of Atkins-style regimens has yet to peak with 22 per cent of all British women now following it.
Low-fat programmes, such as Slim-Fast, are losing ground in the so-called diet wars, experiencing a corresponding dip in demand.
Already more than three million Britons are on a low-carbohydrate diet with sales of starches such as potatoes and bread falling.
Food manufacturers and supermarkets are trying to claw back their share in the world's second biggest slimming market with a slew of low-carbohydrate products and promotions which will hit supermarket shelves this autumn.
The fight back comes after increasing indifference from consumers to traditi- onal low-fat slimming foods, which are beginning to be seen as old-fashioned, ineffective and possibly even counter-productive.
Unilever, the company which blamed the Atkins diet two weeks ago for the poor performance of its Slim-Fast range, will launch 17 products this autumn under the label Carb Options, including low-carbohydrate pasta, soups, ketchup and mayonnaise.
Nestle's low-carbohydrate KitKat and Rolo bars will be made available in all supermarkets by the end of the year, while Heinz, the manufacturer of the Weight Watchers-branded ready meals, has created a low-carbohydrate range that goes on sale next month. Critics say Heinz is simply repackaging meals that are self-evidently low in starch such as Tuscan Chicken with Sweetcorn and Green Beans.
The supermarket chain Waitrose is planning to roll out 48 low-carbohydrate products in the autumn which will include a "bread" and "cake" mix based on wheat gluten.
Hovis has tried to combat the trend by introducing a low-carbohydrate bread on to the market.
In its place, snacks such as peanuts and olives have experienced dramatic rises in sales of up to 16 per cent. Demand for high-protein meat snacks is also expected to soar, mirroring the trend in America, where sales of pork rind -recommended by Atkins as a low carbohydrate alternative to crisps -have jumped 39 per cent in the past year. Although supermarkets and food manufacturers have been wary of aligning themselves too closely with low-carbohydrate-style diets because of the potential health risks, consumer demand has now dictated that they react.
Ben Longman, of Reuters Business Insight, which conducted a report into the implications of Atkins-style diets in Britain, said that the new eating habits had encouraged many people to make permanent changes to their diets, such as cutting out bread.
According to the survey, 95 per cent of European and American food and drink manufacturers say they cannot afford to ignore the trend for low-carb dieting. More than a quarter view the development of low-carb foods as a priority and are investing in the development of products. Low-carb crisps and breakfast cereals are in the production pipeline.
"Because of the nature of the diet and the sheer number of people who have been following it, there will be an impact on the popularity of low-fat foods," Mr Longman said.
Scientific endorsement of the low-carbohydrate diet has increased the trend. In May the results of two large trials, conducted at Duke University in North Carolina and the Veterans' Affairs Medical Centre in Philadelphia, showed that obese people on Atkins lost as much as those on conventional low-fat diets.
But many nutritionists remain unhappy about the health implications of low- carbohydrate diets. Sara Stanner, of the British Nutrition Foundation, said: "There haven't been any studies into the long-term effects of a low carbohydrate diet. Yes, low-carbohydrate diets can mean weight loss but bone health and kidney function may be affected."