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The Pregnant Man, Round 2? HCG Hormone Diet Craze
A leading proponent of HCG, Kevin Trudeaus, was charged by the FDA with deceptive practices.
Boston Globe
April 21, 2008
Ask an obese man to take a pregnancy test and there’s a chance he’ll test positive.
That’s because men and women throughout the country are latching on to a weight-loss craze—the HCG diet—and injecting themselves with pregnancy hormones in order to shed pounds.
Logically speaking, the diet makes sense, said Robert Kushner, professor of medicine at Northwestern University, who studied the weight-loss method. But he doesn’t support it. “It’s a waste of money, time and effort,” he said.
HCG, which stands for human chorionic gonadotropin, is the hormone that pregnant women produce. During a pregnancy, the fetus needs an abundance of calories to grow, and HCG is believed to mobilize fat. In other words, the hormone converts the mother’s abdominal fat into calories for the baby to use, essentially stimulating her metabolism, explained Brock Dunn, a counselor at Native Healing Ways, which sells HCG nationally by mail.
“We have thousands of people getting it from us,” Dunn said. “You get to the point where it’s a last chance for people, and it’s easy.”
Those who inject the hormone when they’re not pregnant lose about a pound a day, Dunn said. The weight-loss method costs about $60 a week, taking six weeks to complete.
Shalom Shick, a 51-year-old from Tennessee, said she tried more than 100 diets before discovering HCG in September. “I was already obese, and I was headed for morbid obesity,” Shick said. “I was really scared, and I was praying that some solution would come my way.”
That solution came in the form of a late-night infomercial about the hormones. She got a prescription from a doctor over the phone whom she hadn’t met in person and eventually started ordering HCG from overseas because of the low price. Shick said she has lost 45 pounds in five months. She takes HCG twice a day, which she said blunts her hunger, making it possible for her to stick to a 500-calorie-a-day diet.
The online health message boards are buzzing with the news of the hormone, even though the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t approve of HCG for weight loss and the few doctors administering HCG in Illinois quickly closed their doors and disappeared once their names became popular through word of mouth.
Furthermore, Kevin Trudeau, author of “The Weight Loss Cure” and a key HCG diet advocate, was charged in September by the Federal Trade Commission with deceptive practices and earlier accused by the New York State Consumer Protection Board of selling names and contact information to telemarketers.
Now, the only place to get the hormone locally is online, but that may not stop Julie Bronski of Chicago, who said she’s determined to lose at least 100 pounds.
After reading the reviews of Trudeau’s book on amazon.com, Bronski said she will ask her doctor about the weight-loss hormone in the hope of losing as much weight as the publicized claims.
“One guy said he lost all this weight after two weeks,” Bronski said. “I’m the one who always tries everything, so I’m hoping this diet will work.”
The HCG diet was actually created decades ago in Europe, and although it moved through the United States about 30 years ago, it has been resurrected in recent months because people are looking for a quick solution more than ever before, said Kushner, who reviewed the studies when they arrived here in the 1970s.
Although using HCG for weight loss hasn’t been shown to do any damage, Kushner said, it doesn’t have any effect on losing the pounds. What did have an effect, he said, was the 500-calorie diet that many of the HCG patients adhered to, in addition to the injections.
“There are so many people who are struggling to manage their body weight, and they’re frustrated, anxious, desperate to get their weight under control,” Kushner said.
John Bersin, co-owner of HCG Medical, a consulting company that connects doctors with HCG-hungry patients, said that although the hormone shouldn’t be considered a “magic pill,” he has thousands of people waiting to try it.
“It’s a national phenomenon right now,” he said, adding that the hormone can cause people to feel less hungry and more regulated."
catty0009
6 months ago
44 comments
wow is all I can say........
Buckup
6 months ago
20 comments
I'm a 45 year old male, and I've been taking Hcg for about 2 years. I've lost about 5 pounds so I guess I can claim Hcg is effective. LOL. Obviously I'm not taking it for weight loss, and I'm not eating a 500 kcal diet, but it doesn't take my appetite away either. The only thing I've noticed is, it gives me a burst of energy a few hours after I inject it. If it helps people lose weight, that's great. But there's a lot of people who would lose weight from taking a sugar pill to.
JenniferS
6 months ago
38 comments
Well Its a matter of self discipline when it comes to eating habits to maintain a good weight, eat plenty of vegetables and fruits and less in fatty food.Obesity is also a psychological symptom of diversion from some kind of depression.Exercise to maintain a good shape.Taking hormones which does not belong to you i think it is not a good kind of practice.Where do they get the HCG hormones, of course from other humans you do not know so do you think this is safe?
Crimsonandclover_85
6 months ago
54 comments
"I want a quick fix too!!! Is there a pill that treats stupidity yet?!!!" LOL! No sadly I don't think there is a fix for that DaMomb...if there was I'd have less psych patients running around.... *sighs*
kp2009
6 months ago
2 comments
I thought this diet sounded insane until I tried it. Before that, I did a lot of research on HCG and VLCD (Very Low Calorie Diets). I think Trudeau's book /method requires the individual to buy excessive amounts of products and is just a marketing ploy. Additionally, there is no evidence that HCG works. However, VLCD's DO work and have been around for a very long time. I did 2 rounds of this diet - one with HCG and one without. They both worked. Anyhow, for anyone that thinks that this is a quick fix or as easy as swallowing a pill, do your research. It is NOT an easy diet. Living on 500 calories a day requires work and commitment.
Jer213
11 months ago
2 comments
It's not about quick fixes, and I'm shilling nothing but the truth. Obesity is rampant in this country, and this diet does work. I spent 40 days eating 500 calories a day (sound like a quick fix?). During this time I had no hunger whatsoever. But during that time my emotional hunger played many tricks on me. The diet's not easy, it's not a quick fix, but it does work, and unlike all these other diets, this one will do the absolute most important thing. It will metabolize fat and it will reset your hypothalumus (sp?). The bottom line is... if you google "hcg doesn't work" you'll come up with establishment websites (institutional, government, corporate) all who debunk a real cure for the greatest health crisis in this country. By the way the debunkers, have no real experience, but because they have some title or degree, we're expected to take their word for it. BS
kstiltner1
about 1 year ago
7268 comments
There has to be something wrong with this.
GLOMA
about 1 year ago
2 comments
I have read and read and watch a panel on a TV talk show. I yet to read or see on TV any panel discrediting with on going test to prove it is not healthy or it is not possible to loose a lb a day. If I had the money I would be trying this and if my results were good I would buy it for my family members. One in fact got the bypass surgery and almost died 3X and now wishes she NEVER went through with surgery. Her health is awful and she is no longer happy suffering with sagging skin and illness and even got meningitis while in the hospital following the bypass surgery! I wish we would of known of HCG so she could of tried this first. I am so happy for the ones HCG has helped. I have not read any posting as of today of adverse reactions or non weight loss.
Sheepra
about 1 year ago
2 comments
I am the woman discussed in the article (Shalom Shick). I reduced a total of 60 pounds on the Protocol ultimately. Here are my comments on this article:
Firstly, a man using hCG for weight reduction is NOT going to test positive for pregnancy! The Protocol simply doesn't use a dosage anywhere near high enough for that to happen. Pure sensationalism!
Also, it is possible to get the same results using sublingual dosing (drops under the tongue).
Dr. Gedde had already been treating me for hypothyroidism, adrenal issues, Hashimoto's and other hormonal irregularities for quite some time. My patient relationship with her as my doctor was prefaced by intensive scrutiny of blood, saliva and other test results as well as extensive personal interviews that took far more time than any other doctor has spent with me that I can remember!
HCG doesn't just 'blunt' hunger. It actually enables the body to access the 'stubborn fat stores' to the tune of approximately 2000 calories a day, so that one is receiving nutrients more than sufficient to prevent hunger in addition to the 500 calories allowed per day. The 500 calories are from specified food sources, ensuring that adequate protein is consumed daily.
Kevin Trudeau was charged for making the statement in his infomercial for his book 'The Weight Loss Cure They Don't Want You to Know About' that, after completing the Protocol, one can eat anything they want. I do not consider this fraudulent. The key word in his statement is 'want'. The hCG enables the body to re-set the hypothalamus such that one no longer 'wants' the same kinds of foods the same way one did prior to taking the hCG in the prescribed manner. Further, his previous 'debt to society' has been paid for other charges in the past and is irrelevant to the current discussion! He has done a great service to the public bringing this Protocol to light after it has been suppressed by the FDA and who knows what other accomplices. That suppression has been downright sinful, in my opinion, considering all those who have needlessly continued to suffer, or have even died, due to obesity and related complications!
theala
about 1 year ago
410 comments
Shill
JeannieB
about 1 year ago
2 comments
I am 56 years old with a Mitral Valve Heart problem. I studied reports from females that have MVP who lost weight years ago and have never had any problems. I started the Protocol in the Sublingual method (under the tongue for 15 mins) two times a day. Wow, the results are excellent. I've lost 26 pounds and heart pounding that comes with MVP has ceased. Although my regular MD and my Cardiologist were surprised at my diet they are pleased with the results. Blood pressure is down, good cholesterol is up, my body is reshaping without exercise. I plan on starting Praise Moves exercise program and walking when I finish this round of HCG. Many of the people posting here do not understand that there are some of us who HAVE tried eating normally and exercising and nothing happened. Why? We don't know. My doctor nor my personal trainer had the answer. I can only say that honestly this is working for me and I am so grateful. The folks that haven't tried HCG, don't understand it and that's ok. To each his own.
EvangelisticSistah
about 1 year ago
92 comments
I use to be hooked on quick-fixes for weight loss, trying every new diet pill that came on the market until I figured they did not work nut needles-no thank you. I cant stick myself with a needle. I pray to God that I never get diabetes and need insulin shots. I am surprised I got through the lab portion of MA school (getting stuck sucked and having to stick myself that one time sucked even worse). Besides I think old fashioned portion-control and exercise will work just fine.
melba
about 1 year ago
88 comments
man, the fact that you can speak too someone over the phone and he/she can write you a rx is crazy on it's own! that would be a red flag for me not to even consider getting it filled.
Shan4691
about 1 year ago
5382 comments
So we go from Adkin's to South Beach to the pregnancy hormone?? What happened to good old fashioned exercise and eating moderately?
DaMomb
about 1 year ago
1234 comments
I want a quick fix too!!! Is there a pill that treats stupidity yet?!!!