Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Tell me about HcG Diet Doc K.

Sure, I'll tell you about it.  Its a load of bollux.
To me it feels like a scheme to simply get a few more bucks out of people who 1) do not do their homework, and b) are gullible to believe anything which comes out of the pop-culture machine (Please see Adkins, South Beach, Master Cleanse, etc...)
The Science:  hCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone produced during pregnancy by cells that form the placenta.
The quick history: in 1950 Dr. A. Simeons came up with the idea to start utilizing HcG injections combined with a strict 500 calorie a day high protein diet.  This Simones' Method became more and more popular by the 1970s with clamis about rapid weight loss with little hunger issues (1).  


Well, some smarter people said, "wait a tic," and did some meta-analysis which concluded by saying, " [T]here is NO scientific evidence that HcG is effective in the treatment of obesity..."(2).  Not only that, after some concurrent clinical trials started noting that weight loss occurred because of the strict diet and NOT because of the HcG injections, the Simeons' Method started falling out of favor.
Now, despite the ever mounting evidence against the efficacy of HcG (3), this weight loss program has had a recent flare up in popularity.  Which reminds me of the ever popular 'cleanse' called the "Master Cleanse" which was not only a fallacy in science but also a dangerous cleanse.  
The American Society of Bariatric Physicians, in a 2010 press release, finally horned in stating, "[O]ffically not recommending.." HcG injections for weight loss.  Thus pointing out and adding to the growing number of studies and professionals who are screaming the failure of HcG injection efficacy (4,5)
Lastly, on my rant about HcG,  The FDA and FTC has filed joint action against many companies of whom are selling over the counter HcG products.  Not because there were selling them, but because they were falsely and ILLEGALLY claiming to promote weight loss.  
The only FDA approved usage for hCG injections is for a treatment of female infertility.  Making such claims such as weight loss is a violation of federal law.

Who are these companies warned?  Check the list in the references below.(6)

So now what Doc K?   Well, any diet, and I mean ANY DIET, with a restriction to 500 calories per day will produce the same amount of weight loss.  Even they can be potentially hazardous.  Consult your medical provider, or come see me and we can discuss far more safe and effective ways to loose those pounds.

Stay healthy my friends!


~ Doc K

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References (1)
  1. Simeons AT. The action of chorionic gonadotrophin in the obese. Lancet. 1954;267:946-947.
  2. Lijesen GK, Theeuwen I, Assendelft WJ, Van Der Wal G. The effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in the treatment of obesity by means of the Simeons therapy: a criteria-based meta-analysis. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1995;40:237-243.
  3. Hamilton M, Greenway F. Evaluating commercial weight loss programmes: an evolution in outcomes research.Obes Rev. 2004;5:217-232.
  4. American Society of Bariatric Physicians press release regarding the use of HCG in weight loss programs. Denver, Colorado. March 1, 2010.
  5. American Society of Bariatric Physicians. ASBP Position On Use of HCG in the Treatment of Obesity. November 2010. Available at:http://www.asbp.org/siterun_data/about_asbp/position_statements/doc5858839311268715587.html Accessed May 17, 2011.

  6. Manufacturer/Distributor NameProduct Name
    1. HCG Diet Direct LLCHCG Diet Homeopathic Drops
    2. The hCG Drops LLCHomeopathic HCG
    3. HCG Platinum LLC; RightWay NutritionHCG Platinum
    HCG Platinum X-30
    HCG Platinum X-14
    4. Nutri Fusion Systems LLCHCG Fusion 30
    HCG Fusion 43
    5. www.resetthebody.com; www.theoriginalhcgdrops.comHomeopathic Original HCG
    Homeopathic HCG
    6. Hcg-miracleweightloss.comHCG Extra Weight Loss Homeopathic Drops
    7. Natural Medical SupplyAlcohol Free hCG Weight Loss Formula

Your foot pain may be from you being too heavy for them!

Article that came across our desk in regards to foot pain and obesity.  See our input at the end for what we prescribe for our patients to help on both of these aspects.

The article is as follows:

Increased body mass index (BMI) is strongly linked to nonspecific foot pain in the general population and chronic plantar heel pain in nonathletes, according to a systematic reviewpublished online April 13 in Obesity Reviews.
Researchers led by Paul A. Butterworth, associate lecturer and PhD candidate at the La Trobe University Department of Podiatry in Victoria, Australia, used 5 electronic databases (Ovid MEDLINE/EMBASE/AMED, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library), in addition to reference lists from relevant papers, to identify 25 relevant papers.
Four cross-sectional studies indicated a strong association between increased BMI and nonspecific foot pain.
Of note, a large population-based Danish study (n = 2179) reported significantly higher BMI in people with foot pain; obese men were 3 times more likely to have foot pain than those with normal BMI (odds ratio [OR], 3.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.6 - 6.1).
These findings were supported by age- and sex-adjusted data from a large Australian population-based study (n = 3206) showing that people with foot pain (after adjustment for age and sex) were nearly twice as likely to be obese (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.57 - 2.31).
A smaller third study of individuals with high-arched feet (n = 130) found an increased BMI (in the obese range) for those with pain in 3 locations (forefoot, midfoot, and rearfoot) compared with that in patients with pain in 1 or 2 locations (= .049).
The fourth study investigated disabling foot pain in 176 retirement village residents and found a significantly higher BMI that was not independently linked to foot pain after pain in other parts of the body were included in a regression model.
Plantar Heel Pain
With respect to chronic plantar heel pain, researchers identified 12 relevant studies (9 matched case-control and 3 cross-sectional). Eight of 10 studies specific for nonathletes linked heel pain with significantly increased BMI or obesity; 6 studies showed the effect size as "large" or greater.
Only 1 of the 9 case-control studies failed to find a difference in BMI between groups, which the authors attribute to small sample size (n = 20).
Although the evidence supports an association between an increased BMI and chronic plantar heel pain in nonathletes, the authors note the possibility for reverse causality, in which heel pain leads to decreased activity and obesity. Another limitation is that many of the studies did not control for potential confounders.
Can Weight Loss Improve Foot Pain?
Researchers also attempted to find a connection between weight loss and reduced foot pain. They identified only 2 relevant studies, both of which revealed significant improvement.
In 1 of those studies, a prospective cohort study, 24 patients achieved a 67% improvement in foot pain on the Western Ontario McMaster Osteoarthritis Index score for pain, stiffness, and function after weight loss with bariatric surgery and physical exercise (mean [±SD], 150 ± 75 vs 49 ± 51; P < .001).
The second study simply described the outcome of weigh loss after bariatric surgery on musculoskeletal conditions (n = 105; 21% with foot pain), in which only 1% of those afflicted continued to experience pain.
The authors note that the evidence on the relationship between BMI and hallux valgus, tendonitis, osteoarthritis, and flat foot is inconclusive.
"Considering that the prevalence of obesity is increasing world-wide, the incidence of musculoskeletal foot disorders is likely to increase," write Butterworth and colleagues, noting that the potential role of weight loss in addition to existing treatments for foot disorders warrants further investigation.
Mr. Butterworth is funded by an Australian postgraduate award. Another author is currently a National Health and Medical Research Council senior research fellow. No other sources of funding were provided for this review. The authors have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
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Can we help your persistent foot pain, heck yes we can.  But it is a relationship we both need to give 100% on.
After we adjust you, we have to work together to bring your weight down.  We usually prescribe a cleansing system to aid in a healthy weight loss plan.
Loosing weight will not only help reduce the amount of foot or knee pain you suffer from, but also reduce your risk for many other complications.  Complications such as: diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, chronic bronchitis, heart disease, plus many others. 
Now who wouldn't want to get healthy?
Stay healthy my friends.
~ Doc K