This is more a question for someone with the interests of a dietician than for me. However, since no one else has answered it yet, I'll try, just so the question is not left without an answer.

Yes, those sugar-free desserts contain carbohydrates. Carbohydrates include the categories of both starches and sugars. Thus: All sugars are carbohydrates, but all carbohydrates are not necessarily sugars.

Bread, which is generally made from wheat, is a carbohydrate. But it is not a sugar. It is a starch, or at least the wheat component is. Ditto for beans (legumes), corn, rice, etc. On the other hand, sugar is a carbohydrate but not a starch. Don't know what those "low-carb" diets advise, but generally beans, corn, rice, are considered reasonably and comparatively desirable in that they metabolize slowly, not likely to spike (and then crash) your energy level the way pure sugar would.

But I don't know what a doctor would say. I also don't know what those bestselling books would say. Maybe to the diet gurus a carb (ouch! hate that word!) is a carb is a carb. . . . Or a book sale is a book sale is a book sale. . . .