Human chorionic gonadotrophin, or hCG, was first used as a diet aid in the 1950s. Since that time, research conducted on hCG shows that it's useless for weight loss. This hasn't stopped Internet marketers and supplement sellers from promoting hCG weight loss products. Some weight loss clinics still offer hCG injections, despite overwhelming evidence that it doesn't work. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced in January 2011 that over-the-counter hCG products are both fraudulent and illegal.
Products
The hCG hormone is a medical treatment approved by the FDA for very specific purposes. Jennifer Nelson, Mayo Clinic blogger and nutritionist, states that one of its primary use is to address issues of female infertility. However, some doctors offer hCG shots as a part of a more comprehensive weight loss program, which also includes calorie restriction. Many of the oral hCG supplements marketed online purport to be homeopathic in nature. Homeopathic remedies employ a highly diluted form of hCG and package it as an oral supplement, such as hCG drops and lozenges.
History
A physician named Albert Simeons first ushered in the hormone hCG as a form of weight control in the 1950s. Simeons claimed that hCG had many desirable properties; purportedly, it made dieters feel less hungry even when they eat an extremely low-calorie diet. He also claimed that hCG redistributed fat away from the tummy, thighs and buttocks. Simeons' weight-loss clinics became popular in the 1970s. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration eventually intervened, as Simeons attached unproven claims associated with hCG. Today, hCG products are required to carry the label, "HCG has not been demonstrated to be effective adjunctive therapy in the treatment of obesity. There is no substantial evidence that it ... causes a more attractive ... distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets." However, some marketers of hCG weight loss products -- and even some weight loss doctors -- continue to make these assertions about their products.
Effectiveness
Dieters who use hCG really believe that it makes a difference, possibly due to a placebo effect, according to a March 2011 article in the "Huffington Post." The hCG diet does indeed work insofar that dieters lose a lot of weight; however, this is because they are restricted to a mere 500 calories a day. Most people eat between 1,800 to 3,000 calories. Any diet that's so calorie-restrictive will result in rapid weight loss. Nelson states that such quick weight loss can cause gallstones. Also, because dieters only consume 500 calories a day, they're probably not having their nutritional needs met. Once you stop eating 500 calories a day and resume your normal eating habits, all of the weight you lost on the hCG diet comes back.
Other Information
A meta-analysis published in the September 1995 issues of the "British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology" answered the question as to hCG's effectiveness. Researchers at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam reviewed numerous clinical trials and determined that it's ineffective as a weight loss aid; nor does it make dieters feel less hungry. Elizabeth Miller, spokesperson for the FDA, indicated that even if hCG products you purchase on the Internet don't harm you, they are "economic fraud." The American Association of Bariatric Physicians states that a safer and more lasting way to lose weight is to modify your eating habits, get regular exercise and seek behavioral counseling to address the issues that make you overeat.
References
- MayoClinic.com; HCG Diet: Is it Safe and Effective?; J. Nelson; June 2010
- "Huffington Post"; hCG 'Diet' Controversy; D. Praetorius; March 2011
- "New York Times"; Diet Plan With Hormone Has Fans and Skeptics; A. Hartocollis; March 2011
- American Society of Bariatric Physicians: hCG Weight Loss Programs--Where is the Evidence?
- "Time Magazine"; The hCG Diet Myth; M. Szalavitz; February 2011
- National Council Against Health Fraud: HCG Worthless as a Weight-loss Aid
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