HCG weight-loss products are fraudulent, FDA says

[Lindsay]

To all of those who fell off the forum after posting in this thread:

http://www.occforum.com/index.php?showtopic=10750&st=0

I'd love to hear how you're doing.

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HCG weight-loss products are fraudulent, FDA says

Source

A popular type of weight-loss products, heavily promoted on the Internet, is fraudulent and illegal, Food and Drug Administration officials say.

HCG weight-loss products that promise dramatic results and claim to be homeopathic are sold as drops, pellets and sprays on the Web, in drugstores and at General Nutrition Centers. They are supposed to be used in combination with a very low-calorie diet of 500 calories a day.

Many of the labels indicate the products contain HCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone made by the placenta during pregnancy. The hormone itself is approved as a prescription treatment for infertility and other conditions.

There is no evidence the oral over-the-counter products are effective for weight loss, says Elizabeth Miller, FDA's leader for the Internet and health fraud team. While they may not be dangerous, they're at least "economic fraud," she says.

Because the products do not seem to be "a serious direct health hazard or a serious indirect health hazard," they have been a lower priority for FDA action than other products. Still, Miller says, "they could be subject to enforcement at any time."

One of the issues is the homeopathic label. Homeopathy is an alternative medicine practice of using very small or diluted preparations of medicines or remedies to treat a condition. Miller says, "We are aware of HCG products that claim to be homeopathic, but it is not recognized in the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia." Therefore, these products "are not recognized by the FDA as homeopathic drugs, so they are unapproved drugs and are illegal," she says.

Miller says HCG began being used for weight loss in the 1950s when a British physician had a theory that it could help people on a near-starvation diet not feel hungry. "Since then, a lot of research and clinical trials debunked that theory."

Samuel Klein of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis agrees: "Data from most randomized controlled trials show that HCG is no better than placebo in achieving weight loss or reducing hunger."

Stephen Barrett, a retired psychiatrist who operates quackwatch.org, says, "The bottom line is there is no reason to think the product works."

Even experts in the supplement industry say the products aren't legal and don't work. Andrew Shao of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, an industry group, says HCG is "not considered a legal dietary ingredient and therefore cannot be sold as a dietary supplement. I am not aware of any scientific evidence that supports its use when taken orally."

Because HCG is a peptide hormone, it would be broken down by the stomach and rendered ineffective, he says. He says the products are mostly sold over the Internet, so it's difficult to track sales.

Kevin Wright, president of HCG Platinum, says his company made HCG products until about two months ago; it stopped because it found a formula that doesn't use the hormone. Some bottles of the HCG formula are still on store shelves, selling for about $70 an ounce.

Many other companies are still selling HCG products, and there are weight-loss clinics that use the prescribed injectable hormone, he says.

FDA's Miller also has concerns about injectable versions of HCG for weight loss. The drug is not approved for weight loss, she says. Dieters getting injections of the hormone from people who aren't licensed to do so run the risk of getting infections and can't be sure what product they're getting.

[nothereanymore]

Thanks for the information - I think the link copied wrong so I'm including the correct one here http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/fitness/weight-loss-challenge/2011-01-24-hcgdiet24_ST_N.htm

These things are always interesting. We're just all looking for that magic formula and it’s not out there. There are tools, whether that is the band, exercise - and there is knowledge. We choose the path that we believe is right for us. However we need to be smart about it and do our homework.

I've done so many crazy diet things in the past that I can never go to anyone and tell them they are silly for trying something. I was the queen of looking for the "easy" way out of my obesity. There just isn't one and until I made it a part of my life to try my best to eat right with the band and exercise consistantly - I couldn't do it. I haven't had a weight issue for a long time now - I'm at peace with my body - these silly fast/fad diets that normally are just out there to make someone a fast buck and sometimes kill people in the process, are just more of a passing interest to me and I thank god that I made through all my trials alive and think of those that were lost in the process because that's the truth - many of us die trying to be thin. And I'm not saying all will kill us, however the fact is that many do some harm, most will just make us lose weight at a fast pace then gain it back plus more (we all know that ugly cycle) however some are worse.

Just be safe, use what you have and really push yourself.

Much love,

Lisa

[Lindsay]

Lisa, you nailed that one on the head!!

If only there was some sort of shot, pill or medicine we could take ... if onlyyyyy

[PAMMIE]

I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT THE FDA DIDNT GO INTO THE INJECTABLES AND IN OTHER HCG THREADS HERE, THAT SEEMS TO BE WHAT MOST WERE TALKING ABOUT. WE KNOW LICENSED DRS THAT DO INJECT THEIR PATIENTS WITH HCG THOUGH NOT APPROVED THROUGH THE FDA FOR WEIGHT LOSS. HECK, WE HAVE A LEADING LOCAL BARIATRIC SURGEON WHO PROSCRIBES FEN PHEN FOR PATIENTS AFTER SURGERY TO GET THINGS ROLLING AND KEEP HUNGER AT BAY AS ANOTHER TOOL AFTER SURGERY

I THINK MOST PEOPLE HERE REALIZE THIS ISNT MAGIC BUT LOOK AT IT LIKE THE BAND, ANOTHER POSSIBLE TOOL TO FIGHT THE BULGE

[nothereanymore]

I hear ya, however I think they will be shutting most of this down - don't know for sure but that's what I hear. You never know tho - its wait and see at this point.

[PAMMIE]

THAT COULD BE, I'M NOT IN THE INDUSTRY SO I HAVE NO CLUE EXCEPT WHAT I READ I WISH THEY WOULD'VE GOTTEN INTO THAT IN THIS ARTICLE

[PAMMIE]

THAT COULD BE, I'M NOT IN THE INDUSTRY SO I HAVE NO CLUE EXCEPT WHAT I READ I WISH THEY WOULD'VE GOTTEN INTO THAT IN THIS ARTICLE

DR OZ SPEAKS ABOUT HCG

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/weight-loss-controversy-hcg-diet-pt-1

[CindyLou]

It worked for me and it stayed off....but I hated the low carb diet.