How to find hidden carbs: use the hidden carb counter on this site, under low carb tools and plug in the information from the label of the food you want to consume. Another way to find them, but not as accuratly, is to estimate 4 calories for each gram of protein and carbohydrate, and 9 (I think) grams for every fat gram. So if the label says something is 200 calories and it has 10 grams of fat the remaining calories are 110. If it has 18 grams of protein, that becomes 72 calories. The remaining calories, if not fat or protein are 38, which works out to be 9.5 grams of carbs. Note: these are just rough estimates but you can see how it works. BTW: I just made up these numbers, I don't know if there is a real product out there with these numbers.

As for why Atkins markets things, I have a theory. Atkins probably isn't in control of the whole company anymore. He probably is only involved in part of it, and gives the marketing and new product lines to a different section leader, so to speak. According to some scientists, gylcerine and sugar alcohols are not used by the body in the same way that other carbohydrate are. In other words, they do not, or should not create an insulin spike. However, everyone is unique and individual. For many people with insulin sensitivity, anything resembling a carb (and those are carbs, no doubt about it) will cause the insulin to rise, and the body to react chemically as if real sugar had been eaten. This knocks some people out of ketosis, causing cravings in other people, and has no effect on some people.

Some people here, that claim that bars don't effect them, I've noticed don't eat a whole bar at a time, they divide it up and have less than a third of a bar at a time.

I had a few bars a week and noticed I didn't lose anything those weeks when I had consumed bars. Too many people say, "I'm doing everything right and I'm not losing weight." We ask questions and find out they are eating those bars. Sometimes as a meal replacement, and sometimes as a snack. Experience has taught me and others that something that sounds that good, is too good to be true. Soon the label laws will change and the gylcerine and sugar alcohols used will be on the label for all to see.

Atkins probably sees it as the lesser of two evils. He's using the money from the bars and foods to fund what he's been asking for for a long time, a legitimate research project to prove the benefits of low carbing. (This is a guess, but I know he wants to.)

Hope this helps.

Beth