The HCG weight loss plan has gotten a lot of exposure lately. After being featured on a recent episode of the popular Dr. Oz television program, interest in the diet has soared. In the lead-in for the program segment, Dr. Oz remarks that some on the hCG diet have seen weight loss in the range of a pound a day. For those seeking to lose weight fast this seems to be a very attractive program.
The hCG diet actually dates back to the 1950’s when Dr. ATW Simeons, a British endocrinologist, pioneered the theory of using hCG to help people lose weight and abnormal belly fat. HCG or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, is a hormone produced by women during pregnancy to insure a fetus gets necessary nutrients.
The HCG diet works by suppressing appetite so that dieters can stick to a highly restrictive low calorie diet of just 500 calories a day. Consumers can buy an HCG product over the counter and online, but most contain no traces of the hormone. A doctor must prescribe the most concentrated doses, which are administered by injection. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers that over the counter HCG products marketed as weight loss aids are unproven and illegal. Harmful effects from these products should be reported online to the FDA and to your health care professional.
Even after 50 years of research there is no proven reason why hCG should keep you from getting hungry. HCG is an FDA approved drug, but it is used primarily for fertility, not for weight loss. The FDA has advised consumers to stay away from over-the-counter weight-loss products that contain HCG. HCG is a prescription medication that is not approved for over the counter use. Companies that sell over-the-counter HCG weight loss products are breaking the law.
The diet’s 500-calorie “portion control shock therapy” is responsible for the rapid weight loss. However, that level of calorie restriction has many risks. Those risks in include the formation of gallstones, irregular heartbeat, and electrolyte imbalances. Participants have also reported severe mood swings, hair loss, and missed menstrual cycles.
Decades of research have demonstrated that if you diet by eating only 500 calories a day, you regain a lot of that weight back after the diet ends. It turns out that these crash diets lead to no more weight loss after one year than if you modestly reduce calories and increase exercise.
If weight loss is your goal, there is a much safer ways to lose weight. Consider a natural supplement that has been shown to suppress appetite without chemical stimulants or unpleasant side effects. Garcinia Cambogia Extract is a weight loss supplement derived from the tamarind fruit and has been proven safe and effective. Talk with your physician or health care providers about how to make healthy changes that lead to permanent weight loss.
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