The fact that women (mostly) are willing to pay $1000/month to be injected by a hormone and starve themselves on 500 calories a day to see TEMPORARY weight loss is the sign of pure desperation. The resurgence of the very old diet craze utilizing hCG shots (a hormone derived from the urine of pregnant women) is "as popular as ever, even though there is scant evidence that it makes any difference."
Dr. Pieter Cohen, an assistant professor at Harvard medical school who researches weight-loss supplements, said that aside from the issue of side effects, the use of hCG as a diet tool was “manipulating people to give them the sense that they’re receiving something that’s powerful and potent and effective, and in fact they’re receiving something that’s nothing better than a placebo"
The following article from this morning's NY TImes describes the side effects and other costs in more detail.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/08/nyregion/08hcg.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha2
|
