In my previous article I exposed a number of myths that circulate the weight loss industry. New product are introduced to the industry every day complete with impressive claims regarding their weight loss prowess. Unfortunately, many people accept the myths behind these products without doing any additional research into the subject area. HCG (also known as Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) is one such weight loss product that has become rapidly accepted by the dieting community. In this article I will be discussing HCG in more detail and outlining how effective it really is as a weight loss supplement.
HCG is a hormone that is produced by the placenta of pregnant women. The presence of HCG in a woman’s blood stream generally indicates that they are pregnant. In fact, there was not a huge interest in HCG as a weight loss product until Kevin Trudeau released his book ‘The Weight Loss Cure’.
In his book, Kevin Trudeau claims that HCG injections can help you lose weight. His books have been bestsellers with ‘The Weight Loss Cure’ being on a number of best seller lists including; The New York Tims, Pulishers Weekly, USA Today and the Wall Street Journal. However, Kevin Trudeau is also a convicted felon and has been subject to numerous legal proceedings including an FTC contempt of court action in 2007 regarding his book ‘The Weight Loss Cure’. He has also been heavily criticised on the grounds of having; no medical training, no basis in research, no proof to back up his claims and even accused of making false endorsements on another of his books ‘ Natural Cures’.
Furthermore, there are no medical or scientific studies which prove that HCG can assist with weight loss. In 1954, Dr. Albert T. Simeons, a British-physician claimed HCG injections would allow dieters to manage more easily on a 500 calorie per day diet. However, he had no clinical evidence to validate any of his claims. Since then a number of clinical tests and studies have been performed to test the effectiveness of HCG as a weight loss supplement and not one has found HCG to promote weight loss. You can view full details of these studies by reading this article.
Overall, I would recommend that you stick to the tried and tested solution of a well balanced diet and a good exercise plan when trying to lose weight. This is the only proven way to lose weight without putting your health at risk. Until, the effectiveness of HCG as a weight loss supplement is fully backed up with clinical evidence I suggest you give it a wide berth.