With more than 68 percent of the US population overweight or obese, and a multibillion-dollar diet industry churning out 'solutions' for the epidemic of pudge, a great many products are hyped as a weight loss solutions. Hoodia has become one of those buzzwords sought by perennial dieters, and dished by marketers and supplement companies worldwide. The source of all the hoopla was a 2003 BBC Business article on hoodia, discussing the tremendous moneymaking potential of the plant more than its health effects, and another enthusiastic, PR-driven article on "60 Minutes" the following year. Despite the fact that no credible studies on humans have been published, a multimillion dollar hoodia industry has cropped up on the Internet and in stores worldwide. The South African government issued a small study on rats showing the effect of a substance called P57 isolated from hoodia, mentioned but not explained in the "60 Minutes article." They issued a license to a British company, Phytopharm, which then entered a series of relationships with pharmaceutical companies to market hoodia diet products. Pfizer was the first company to get involved, and reputedly spent more than $20 million, but backed out when they determined the project was unfeasible. Unilever then joined on but hasn't produced products. Hoodia, an endangered plant, is protected by the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES. As such a CITES permit is needed to export hoodia from Africa. Very few CITES permits are issued. With massive worldwide demand created by aggressive marketing campaigns, the price of documented hoodia gordonii has skyrocketed. At one time hoodia's wholesale price was over $50,000 per kilo. As such, it is believed that most hoodia on the market is counterfeit, as several independent tests have demonstrated.
What to Look for
If you think hoodia provides a proven weight loss product, save your money. The weight loss claims from this product are far from scientific, and the before-and-after photos that are so popular on the Internet don't explain the other parts of the regimen. The scientifically documented methods of long-term weight loss are eating a plant-based, low-glycemic diet, plenty of exercise of both cardiovascular and resistance training, and most often overlooked, getting good sleep. A few natural substances have demonstrated weight-loss efficacy and safety as a part of a complete regimen. These include green tea, cinnamon, banaba leaf and seaweed extracts. They work by different mechanisms, but each has clinical trials showing that they affect important pathways of fat storage and fat use. However, they don't work without the right diet and exercise.
Common Pitfalls
No one pill can magically take off the weight safely. The body is too complicated to expect a magic bullet. If you're overweight, it's important to assess your lifestyle. If you're not exercising and eating lots of sweets and starches, no pill in the world will help you, and even prescription weight loss drugs may worsen the problem. When you're exercising regularly, eating the right foods--mostly fresh fruits and vegetables--and sleeping well, the weight will come off with ease, no pills needed.
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