HCG Diet Review – Does it Work?: No Evidence For Safety and Efficacy
Introduction
What’s all this talk about the HCG Diet these days? Does it work? Is it safe? I’ll get right down to it and I’m not going to exercise any diplomacy in my choice of words: I’m calling the HCG diet yet another gimmicky, too-good-to-be-true, quick-fix diet which will probably only leave you lighter in the wallet and less healthy in the long run. The preponderance of scientific evidence shows that it has no effect on fat loss beyond that which can be accomplished by just reducing calorie intake.
What is HCG?
HCG stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and is produced during pregnancy. Early reports from British physician Dr. Albert T. Simeons in the 1950s suggested that HCG injections could enhance fat loss and spare valuable lean tissue (muscle). Recent marketing literature for the product claim that sublingual (under the tongue) HCG drops can enhance fat loss. As of this writing, there are HCG websites operating in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and most other industrialized nations with obesity issues.
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Research
In the early to mid 1970s, more HCG studies surfaced in the peer-reviewed biomedical literature. A 1973 study by Asher and Harper showed positive results but was later slammed for poor methodology, with subsequent studies consistently debunking its use as ineffective for weight loss.
In 1983, a report published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal reviewed all evidence up to that point and concluded that:
“HCG has no known effect on fat mobilization, appetite, or sense of hunger, or body fat distribution. HCG has not been demonstrated to be effective adjunctive therapy for obesity. There is no substantial evidence that it increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or “normal” distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets… [adverse effects main include] headache, irritability, restlessness, depression, fatigue, edema, precocious puberty, gynecomastia, pain at injection site.”
A 1995 meta-analysis (a combined statistical analysis) published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology reexamined all the available scientific evidence and came to the conclusion:
“Methodological scores ranged from 16 to 73 points (maximum score 100), suggesting that most studies were of poor methodological quality. Of the 12 studies scoring 50 or more points, one reported that HCG was a useful adjunct. The studies scoring 50 or more points were all controlled. 5. We conclude that there is no scientific evidence that HCG is effective in the treatment of obesity; it does not bring about weight-loss of fat-redistribution, nor does it reduce hunger or induce a feeling of well-being.”
Also check out Joe Cannon’s research review on the HCG Diet: http://supplement-geek.com/hcg-diet-evidence-based-revie/
HCG Injections vs. Sublingual HCG
One of the most blatantly obvious holes in the HCG marketing armor is the fact that they trump up the outdated claims by Dr. Simeons and conveniently neglect to mention that all early research was based upon HCG injections. As of this writing, there is absolutely no substantive evidence to suggest that sublingual HCG (under the tongue) has any appreciable impact on fat loss and preservation of lean tissue. A promotional website for oral HCG has links for additional “research and information” (oralhcg.com/english/in4.1.3.2.htm <I don’t give active back links to hokey sites>) but when I visited the page and examined the references, it was obvious that nearly all the studies were just general obesity papers that had little or no bearing whatsoever on the efficacy of sublingual HCG drops.
Low Calorie HCG Diet
Though HCG diet advertisers spout off the benefits of their sublingual drops, they neglect to mention that this is simply a very low 500 calorie diet. There is no question that weight loss will occur on such an irresponsibly low and unsupervised regimen, but I would question the extent to which HCG drops play a role in this weight loss. Other questionable products such as Calorad have banked on this technique by duping consumers into eating a low-calorie diet and then ascribing the benefits to their miracle potion. Marketers should be forced by regulatory agencies to prove such claims.
Major Weaknesses of the HCG Diet
1) Muscle loss – A VERY important drawback to such a regimen is the fact that not only will you lose fat, but your body will catabolize (break down) valuable muscle necessary to stoke the flames of your metabolism. Such a low calorie regimen cannot be realistically maintained for an extended period of time and, when you go back to eating normally, your reduced muscle mass (lower metabolism) will leave you more susceptible to weight regain (yo-yo dieting).
2) Safety – A 500 calorie diet is very low energy and ideally should be supervised by a responsible bariatric physician and Registered Dietitian. Generally speaking, a diet of less than 1200 calories is likely to be nutritionally deficient in terms of the main macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, fat) and vitamins and minerals. I see that the HCG diet promoters include a B-complex vitamin, but this is the same thing as bringing a band-aid to a train crash. This should not lull you into a false sense of safety. If you have underlying health issues such as poorly controlled diabetes or other metabolic conditions, you should first visit your doctor for guidance.
3) Unrealistic Weight Loss – Promotional materials for the HCG diet tout that you can expect to lose 1-2 pounds (1/2 to 1 kg) per day. Responsible health practitioners recommend a safe and healthy weight loss of approximately 1-2 pounds per week, NOT per day. Moreover, any rapid weight loss, particularly that induced by such a drastically low-calorie regimen, will activate the body’s famine response which will reduce your metabolism and make your body more stubborn in giving up its energy stores.
4) Hallmark Signs of Quackery - On one promotional website, they claim “the HCG diet is considered one of the fastest and safest ways to lose weight and keep it off.” There is no legitimate, independent scientific evidence to corroborate this claim. The fact that they trumpet from the roof tops that it is the fastest and safest way to lose weight makes this statement both moronic and oxymoronic. There is no such thing as both “fast” and “safe” weight loss. See point 3 above. Healthy weight loss should fall in the range of 1-2 pounds (1/2 to 1 kg) of fat per week. Furthermore, their claim that this product will help you “keep it off” is completely misguided. After coming off a 500 calorie diet, you’re likely to not only gain back the lost weight, but will probably end up more fat than before you went on the HCG diet.
5) Doctor Recommended – This is one of the oldest tricks in the book when it comes to selling hokey diets and nostrums. The world loves to slam doctors for knowing nothing about nutrition, yet the minute a doctor puts out a diet book or hawks a miracle weight loss product, everyone jumps on the bandwagon to shell out their hard earned cash. So what’s it going to be? You can’t have both. In the case of the HCG diet, as I said, this is a very low calorie regimen and really SHOULD be supervised by a responsible physician. But save your money on the HCG portion, as its use is not supported by the preponderance of peer-reviewed scientific evidence.
6) Homeopathic HCG – It was only a matter of time til the homeopaths jumped on the bandwagon to get their share of the pie. As with sublingual HCG, there is no objective evidence that a homeopathic version would have any impact on weight loss. In fact, because it is diluted to the point that the original active ingredient no longer exists, I can’t imagine it would have any physiological impact on the body.
Bottom Line
I wish there was such thing as magic oral weight loss drops, but unfortunately the HCG diet is unlikely to result in any lasting weight loss (losing weight is easy, keeping it off is difficult). The scientific evidence strongly refutes claims of product efficacy and any weight loss experienced is likely (coincidentally) attributable to the extreme reduction in caloric intake. The product marketing is egregiously misleading and does more to confuse consumers than genuinely inform. Outdated “evidence” used to promote the product has since been discredited by the mainstream scientific community.
I urge consumers not to spend their money on this product, as there are potential safety issues and concerns regarding questionable marketing materials.
References
Am J Clin Nutr. 1973 Feb;26(2):211-8.
Effect of human chorionic gonadotrophin on weight loss, hunger, and feeling of well-being.
Asher WL, Harper HW.
http://www.ajcn.org/content/26/2/211.long
JAMA. 1974 Nov 4;230(5):693-4.
Fallacy and hazard. Human chorionic gonadotropin-500-calorie diet and weight reduction.
Ballin JC, White PL.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4479126
JAMA. 1976 Nov 29;236(22):2495-7.
Chorionic gonadotropin in weight control. A double-blind crossover study.
Young RL, Fuchs RJ, Woltjen MJ.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/792477
Can Med Assoc J. 1983 May 15;128(10):1156-7.
Human chorionic gonadotropin is of no value in the management of obesity.
Birmingham CL, Smith KC.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1875285/pdf/canmedaj01391-0026.pdf
Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1995 September; 40(3): 237–243.
The effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in the treatment of obesity by means of the Simeons therapy: a criteria-based meta-analysis.
G K Lijesen, I Theeuwen, W J Assendelft, and G Van Der Wal
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1365103/pdf/brjclinpharm00004-0042.pdf
Harvard Womens Health Watch, May 2010
What Do You Know About the HCG Diet?
http://www.encognitive.com/files/BY%20THE%20WAY,%20DOCTOR.pdf
24 Responses to "HCG Diet Review – Does it Work?: No Evidence For Safety and Efficacy"
THANKYOU!! This was on my list of diets to consider
Thanks Dr. Naomi. Please share this article and take a stand for responsible health and integrity in advertising!
Hi Bill. Tai from Porirua Wellington. How are you? Awesome website! How did I come across it? Not sure!
Texted KEn to tell him I came across your website and said he has been trying to find out
where you are based these days. Hope to hear from you soon
Great work you are doing!
Bless you!
I can concur 100% with your findings Bill. I also reviewed the research on HCG and likewise found no good proof for weight loss.
The Asher and Harper study you mentioned should be viewed with skepticism because the researcher who handled the data collection had an HCG weight loss clinic. As you know, this opens up all sorts of issues relating to the scientific method.
The point about homeopathic HCG ads is also valid – they base their “proof” on the work done on HCG injections (which as you also point out, has been repeatedly been shown not to work).
The research clearly shows that it’s the 500 calories per day that people eat, that causes weight loss – not HCG injections or HCG supplements.
One of my rules of science is that when faced with 2 answers to a question, it’s usually the simple answer that is the correct answer.
The simple answer here is that people lose with on the HCG diet because they are only eating 500 calories per day.
Researchers have given people HCG injections and 500 calories per day and compared them to people who only got 500 calories per day (no HCG). They lose the same amount of weight.
If anyone reading these words uses HCG to help weight loss, ask the person who sells you the HCG this question “can you show me a published study that HCG helps weight loss?”.
There is no good proof that it helps anyone lose weight.
This is especially true for people who sell homeopathic HCG drops. There is zero proof for oral HCG supplements and weight loss.
What more can I say Joe? Couldn’t agree more. The HCG Diet is a classic case of deception by omission. It’s not what their marketing literature is telling you, rather what it’s NOT telling you. The real smoking gun here is that HCG injections have been shown ineffective. Period. Yet all the products being hawked to consumers are oral HCG drops for which there is no body of evidence to support their use. I can only hope consumers are not duped by hokey websites run by people only interested in profit and not the genuine health and well-being of their customers.
Hey Dr Bill, yet again another well written expose on a fad diet that does not have an ounce of scientific evidence behind it!
I love your no nonsense approach to reviewing such products and will be sharing this with all my clients and friends. I totally agree that there should be some regulatory body that insists all ‘diets’ are backed up with scientific evidence.
Keep them coming and thanks for caring and sharing!
Thanks Shaz, while I do like to be a bit more diplomatic in my approach, I find that a bit more of an emotion-charged debunking may be what resonates with consumers. People have said, “oh your article is biased” but I see this more from the perspective of providing a balancing out of egregiously lopsided marketing. No question HCG Diet marketing materials are borderline illegal, if not downright deceptive and devoid of all ethical obligations. Sigh….
Thanks Bill for the excellent write up on the warnings of the HCG diet. As a dietitian I’m worried that people will want to trial this medically sounding diet. We have also written about the warnings here on my blog: The Scoop on Nutrition. http://www.scoopnutrition.com/2011/04/whats-the-hype-on-the-hcg-diet-by-guest-expert-jessica-fishman-levinson-rd/
Emma
Nice one, Dr Bill. Good to see you removing the smoke and mirrors from yet another piece of marketing rubbish… keep up the good work. PT
[...] Bill Sukala has written good review of the HCG diet research if you want more [...]
Emma, thanks for posting your site! I was not aware of you until now thanks
This is all very interesting, I do agree with the information around homeopathic treatments. It does not explain however why i’m currently on the HCG diet, as prescribed by my doctor, and are not experiencing crippling hunger pains. I’m not hungry and if I do feel hungry shortly after using the product I am no longer hungry. I have not been able to lose weight due to a medical condition and now it’s falling off, and trust me I know how to diet and exercise. On one day I ate more than my calorie allotment and actually put on weight. Your article also does not explain why every single one of the nurses at my doctors office have used the diet, lost weight and have kept off the weight once resuming a normal diet. Perhaps you need to research this better yourself rather than relying on third party information?
Hi Carolyn,
Thank you for your comment. The cause of obesity is multifactorial and treatments can be just as varied. Individual responses to a given treatment may differ from person to person, where others may experience hunger pangs, it appears that you do not. I have absolutely no doubt that the weight is falling off at a recommended intake of 500 calories per day. This was never in question at all. The crux of my argument is that from an objective, science-based perspective, there is no substantive body of empirical evidence to support the use of HCG drops for weight loss. This is a case where one must separate cause and effect from coincidence. The cause and effect is that you’re consuming a very low number of calories each day and weight loss is the only logical outcome. However, I would venture to say that it is coincidence that this weight loss happens to be occurring in tandem with your use of sublingual HCG (and you’d probably be losing the exact same amount of weight without HCG drops).
Regarding the nurses in your doctor’s office, as with your experience on this diet, I have no doubt that they’re losing weight on such a low energy intake, but because their story is coming to me as an anecdotal reference, I could not comment without being fully informed of their entire clinical picture. As I’ve written in numerous articles and blog posts in the past, “losing weight” is not the particularly difficult part, rather keeping it off over the long-term (3-5 years out) is difficult. While many popular diets boast numerous weight loss successes, they would hold more practical value if put into a proper long-term context.
Regarding your reference to relying on third party information, I specifically cited scientific peer-reviewed journal articles because it undergoes rigorous evaluation by independent scientists. Third party anecdotal testimonials like the the reference to the nurses are not scientific and would not be relied upon in any scientific forum as evidence of efficacy. BUT, I do think it’s noteworthy to mention that testimonials, if compelling enough, can certainly serve as an impetus for creating research hypotheses. All scientific theories must be viewed in a tentative light until new research challenges those theories and may perhaps topple them in due time. Thanks again for your contribution.
Carolyn
First off, I am very glad you are losing weight! I must concur with what Bill has already said, namely that there is no good proof that HCG drops + 500 calories per day work any better for weight loss than just eating 500 calories per day. There is likewise no good proof that HCG injections + 500 calories per day are any better than only eating 500 calories.
I did my own research review on sublingual HCG for weight loss and I couldn’t find any studies on it either.
I’ll be the first to admit that, a lack of evidence is not the proof that something does not work, but if we look at the studies that have been done on HCG injections, the research is clear that HCG injections + 500 calories per day are no better for weight loss than only eating 500 calories per day.
I would think that since HCG is injected, that it would (in theory) be much more powerful for weight loss than HCG given in sub lingual solution taken by mouth. But, if that really were true, how is it that the more powerful way (injections) does not work?
Carolyn, again I’m really glad you are losing weight. Can you please do me a personal favor and ask your doctor this question: “How can sub-lingual HCG help weight loss when 99% the research on HCG injections shows HCG injections dont help weight loss?”
I have never had the chance to ask a doctor who uses HCG this question and I really want to understand their reasoning. If you could help me with this, I would be eternally grateful to you!
Hi,
Thanks for a great blog. I was able to get the information that I had been looking for. Thanks once again!
Can you explain to me why I am not experiencing the hunger pains and the dizziness that is associated with a VLCD? I’ve tried to cut my intact down to 1200 calories in the past have experienced a large range of symptoms including dizziness and hunger not to mention the extreme crankiness. I have none of these on less calories. I should also mention i’ve lost none of the “fun” bits of my shape which includes my breasts, they are the same size but i’ve lost all of the thyroid weight I put on including that around my back. I have been unable to lose any weight previous to this experience, i’ve tried everything and I exercise each day and eat very very well.
I’m sure people who are fat due to laziness or lack of knowledge may not have this success and I would not recommend it to them. but for someone who has suffered weight gain due to medical conditions I would strongly recommend trying.
ALTHOUGH I DO NOT HAVE ANY BASIS TO DISAGREE WITH YOUR RESEARCH I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE HCG DROPS THAT I HAVE TAKEN A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E-L-Y CURB YOUR APPETITE TO SUCH A DEGREE THAT IT IS STAGGERING TO ME THAT I CAN GO ALL NIGHT WITHOUT A DESIRE TO EAT.
Dr Bill –
I’m a nutritionist, a health radio host, and a chronic guinea pig for all things nutrition. I have taken a stance similar to yours regarding HCG for all the reasons you stated, and also because of my distaste for the widespread overuse of hormone products for every variety of condition.
A physician I’ve worked with asked me to reconsider my feelings on this, offering me the results of his own use, as well as those of his patients, (who granted permission for him to show me their records). He kept meticulous notes, including bodyfat-to-muscle ratios. He and I also have experience working with people who have gone on prolonged fasts, as well as extreme hypocaloric diets like this one, and we’ve looked at the differences in what those people tend to experience vs what they experience on HCG.
Much to my chagrin, it is obvious that something is going on here apart from mere weight loss due to low calories. Muscle mass has been retained, for example, which is something we never see in fasting patients. Fat loss is extraordinary and far exceeds either fasting or mere low calorie dieting. And while the results are more pronounced in those folks who use injections rather than drops, even those using drops have results that exceed anything either of us have seen in the past.
No, there’s no way you can verify what I’m saying, which makes it anecdotal and not credible by scientific standards. I should tell you that I’m still not in favor of using HCG because of my concerns about the possible hormone disruption that could occur. But I have to admit that what I’m seeing is remarkable and is qualitatively quite different from anything I’ve seen either with fasting or with extremely low-calorie dieting.
As for the studies you cite, I think they should be weighed heavily in the minds of physicians who prescribe this regimen. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t relay my memories of the 80′s when I first entered nutrition research. I was struck by a plethora of studies which tried to prove that anabolic steroids did nothing to enhance body mass or performance. This corresponded to a concerted effort to try to stop the increasing interest by young men to use these drugs for sports and bodybuilding. Two decades later, steroids are routinely prescribed to middle aged men (albeit, in sane amounts) for the very reasons that young men in the 80′s were taking them, and today it would be laughable to suggest that steroids don’t do what everyone always knew they did. The studies may have tried to convince us otherwise, but professional athletes have a way of doing what works – even if it’s at the expense of their health.
My feeling is that based on what my eyes are telling me, HCG is working – perhaps at the expense of people’s long-term health. Maybe we’ll see a couple of decades pass and a more sane HCG approach is discovered, much like steroids. I don’t know. But while I cannot recommend HCG or ridiculous anabolic steroid use, neither can I deny what is plainly there in each of those cases, regardless of what the studies are asking me not to see in patient after patient after patient.
Best to you and thanks for your work.
Thanks for your comments Kyle. As you mentioned, anecdotal testimonials are not scientific in nature and are therefore not conclusive evidence of efficacy. There are cases where people “believe” that a product is working for them because they “want” it to work for them (i.e., placebo effect). However, it may be that there is still no demonstrable improvement in any clinical markers. For this reason, we still need to see proper clinical trials conducted with the results published in the peer-reviewed medical literature. I do recognize that this may sound rigid, but to not do so is to let hokey diet promoters continue to sell the public something with no credible support.
Is it possible that the HCG diet is doing something good in the body? As with any diet, pill, or exercise gadget, there is a theoretical, albeit small, possibility that anything could have a beneficial effect in the body. But what really matters is what the preponderance of evidence has to say. Many years ago, a friend of mine was a health/science editor at one of the top-selling muscle magazines in the entire United States. He has legitimate credentials (a PhD) but, when writing about dietary supplements (or diets), upper management told him to view every supplement from the perspective of “if there’s even a 1% chance that the pill could work, then isn’t that enough?” He resigned in disgust and refuse to sell out his credentials. The financial success of all those “muscle comics” are hinged upon selling useless supplements with little to nil scientific support. Flip through the advertising and this much is obvious. The business is money and the storefront is fitness, diets, pills, etc.
Regarding HCG, sure, there’s a chance that it “could” work, but the preponderance of evidence says otherwise. The testimonials you mention certainly could give rise to future studies which may eventually go on to prove its efficacy. But as of this conversation, the HCG diet is sadly still being sold via deceptive marketing.
Thanks again for visiting the site and for your comment. Cheers,
Bill
I have been trying to get objective information about this supplement for months. So glad to find I don’t need to waste my money.
I am also disturbed by the ethics of promoting products that one knows to be ineffective and/or unsafe, unsuitable for certain populations etc. I personally will not promote any product that I research and find to be lacking what the company claims it’s supposed to have or do. I also don’t like misleading people for profit.
Hi Bill! Thanks for your words of wisdom. I go to your site to read on many different topics before trying or purchasing a number of products. I understand your view on the HCG drops and homeopathic versions of HCG, but I must say, I have had the same experience as Carolyn, Betty, and Kyle. Sure it makes sense that you will lose weight on a VLCD, however, like the others, it has reshaped my body and I did NOT feel any hunger during the protocol. I was fortunate not to have experienced the headaches and fatigue that some have experienced. I just felt invigorated and happy all of the time. And that I am sure is because I was started to look good and healthy again. The protocol has helped me to learn portion control and awareness on the “good” foods to eat. Healthy fats vs. unhealthy fats, organic vs. chemically induced foods, addiction to sugars, etc. I also hope that in the future Doctors find that HCG is healthy for all of us whom have tried it! After-all, why would our bodies produce HCG during pregnancies if in fact it would be harmful to a human fetus? My research is strictly researching articles by professionals like yourself and I know that everybody has an opinion and facts, however it does amaze me that those “facts” are often unjustified. I can only hope that in the end my experience with HCG continues to help me make proper decisions regarding nutrition and enthused with the quality of a healthy, happy, long life!
Hi Kim,
Thank you for taking time out to write such a thoughtful comment. I wish to commend you on your success and hope this carries on for the long-term. I don’t think anyone questions that weight loss occurs in tandem with the HCG diet due to the low calorie nature of the regimen. However, I remain skeptical that the results are a direct result of any physiological effect of oral HCG administration. HCG is a protein structure (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_chorionic_gonadotropin) which, if taken orally, would likely be broken down by stomach acid and digested/absorbed in much the same way as an egg or piece of chicken. This is usually an inherent limitation of taking any protein containing substance (friendly bacteria etc).
You should also be aware that my main intention was to report on the scientific evidence behind the HCG diet and, as of this writing, there is no conclusive evidence that it does what promoters say. The onus should be on them to make sure they are selling something that actually has evidence of efficacy before going to market. Unfortunately, many consumers willingly spend their money on wishful shrinking when, in most cases, it is really just a clever way to get people to reduce their energy intake. Another great example of this is my post on Calorad (http://www.drbillofhealth.com/nutrition/calorad-collagen-weight-loss-supplements-review-marketing-claims/) which, similar to the HCG diet, is a protein-based substance that would unlikely survive the digestive tract intact.
Again, I am happy that you have achieved the results you were looking for, but I also think you should take more credit for your results than you’re giving to the supplement. I would suggest that you do a little experiment where you continue with what you’re eating but without the HCG and see if your results continue on the same path. The thing is, while personal experience may be real to each of us, it can also be misleading in that we may not consider all the confounding variables which might explain why we got the results we did. Also consider if supplements contain other ingredients which could actually have contributed to the results instead of the main ingredient.
Going back to the scientific evidence for HCG, you have to remember that a scientific study tries to eliminate the confounding variables and discern whether or not those results stemmed from the supplement or other factors. I am just the messenger in this case and, for what it’s worth, I would like to see more scientific studies come out which would shed more light on this. But until then, oral HCG still appears to be just another too-good-to-be-true regimen with no independent scientific support.
Yours in health,
Bill
Thanks Bill for your response. Gosh, you are one intelligent man! I will continue to follow your site. VERY informative! I just wanted to mention that I have the same thoughts on oral HCG as well. I chose the injections because my Doctor also agrees with you regarding the oral “homeopathic” drops. It just didn’t make sense to me to ingest tiny drops that have to go through the digestive tract process, not to mention the quality of them… are they real, or fake? I felt the injections went “right to the source”, and from a good Pharmacy Compounding source. Perhaps it is silly, and thank you for your vote of confidence. I will consider some of the supplements I had been taking as a variable. Have you got any suggestions as to what supplements are helpful with weight loss? I just can’t keep up with Dr. Oz! Seems he endorses many weight loss methods, and then retracts his statements made on his show at a later time (via the internet). I brought up several of products talked about on the show, and my Doctor just kindly smiled and said, “Yes, a lady asked me about that the other day. I’ve never heard of such a thing.” Things that make you go… hmmm. Well, I do believe in supplements, but the factors and the quantities are so very confusing! As with everything, there are many different views and advise on each and everyone of them. Ugh. Perhaps I’ll spend the morning studying your site. I’m sure I’ll find many things to enlighten me! Thank you again for your words of wisdom. I really appreciate you!
Great day!
Kim
Hi Kim,
Again, thanks for writing such a thoughtful message and for the kind words. I assure you, I don’t live just to spend my days slamming dietary supplements. When it all comes down to it, I’m ok with people spending money on products and experimenting on themselves provided there are no clearly defined health risks. Assuming no imminent danger, then by all means indulge. However, on a different level, when I see products being trumped up with more hype and fancy marketing than legitimate scientific support, then I deem it to be economic deception (i.e., don’t let the truth get in the way of a good sales strategy). I’ve also been accused of being “biased” but I think this is unfair. Where slick marketing is explicitly lopsided and biased, conveniently omitting inconvenient truths, then it’s my duty to categorically take them to task and provide the balance to those slick marketing claims. So if that makes me biased, then so be it, but my aim is to simply provide consumers with the other side of the story.
As for supplements which are helpful for weight loss, I think it’s important to note that even if a supplement does increase metabolic rate a little bit (herbal uppers, etc), it is not likely to increase it to the extent that it results in massive increases in calorie expenditure. I believe consumers expect something along the lines of a Pink Floyd laser light show when in fact the difference is not quite as much as people would expect. It is far more prudent to take up moderate to high-intensity exercise to stimulate the metabolic rate. Supplements like ma huang (ephedrine) and guarana (caffeine) will induce a mild increase in metabolic rate but there are still defined health risks and the increase isn’t really all that much. In short, lifestyle changes maintained over the long-haul will result in a more sustainable healthy weight. Not quite the sexy recommendation that supplement companies promise, but I’ve been in this biz for 22 years while most of them have since folded once the profits dried up.
As for Dr. Oz, you make an interesting observation. He is a legitimate doctor though my fear is that his show’s been hijacked by sponsors and other vested interests. Some of the quacks and garbage he provides a platform for are absolutely insidious and do more harm to public health than good. From the sounds of it, your doctor seems to share similar views. I think some of Dr. Oz’s general health recommendations are good, though he has gone a bit fringe and, now more than ever, I believe it’s important to be more skeptical of the things highlighted on his show.
Sorry to sound like I’m pissing on the parade, but I guess I’ve just seen so many things come and go over the years that it’s easy to see history repeat itself. The same sales strategies that were used in the early to mid 90s to hawk products (with little to no objective scientific evidence) are still just as effective today (sadly). As I mentioned above, my main concerns are two-fold: 1) I want to know something is safe and unlikely to result in long-term health problems; and 2) that it is not an economic fraud (legitimate scientific evidence). Beyond that, I’m not bothered by people spending their hard-earned money on something that may or may not work. I know it sounds cliche, but the placebo effect is still alive and well. Intention can play a strong role in one’s expectation of improvement. If you go to the doctor, you have an expectation of improving….and likely will even if they don’t do much for you. Similarly, taking a supplement with the intention that it will strip off the fat might subliminally push you to keep up with your healthy eating and exercise. So you have to ask if it’s a case of cause and effect (supplement did it) or coincidence that you just so happened to be taking a supplement while you were putting in the hard effort and doing your time in the gym and eating right.
Thanks again for your comment, Kim. Really great to see you taking the time out to leave a carefully considered comment.
Yours in health,
Bill
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