Pretend to Be Pregnant, Lose Weight!

Published on Tuesday, March 8, 2011, by Deborah Lewis / Edit Post

The New York Times reports on the latest diet fad (for rich people anyway): injecting yourself with hCG, a pregnancy hormone. Oh, and eating only 500 calories a day.

There are so many things wrong with this, I don't know where to begin. Yes, it's legal for doctors to prescribe hCG "off-label" for weight loss. But scientific proof that the hormone will actually do what's being suggested—cause you to lose fat in all the right places, curb feelings of hunger and fatigue—is spotty at best. Not to mention the health risks, like potential cardiovascular issues. And there's that whole starving yourself thing (which seems like it'd work on its own, right?).

So why would someone pay a thousand bucks to start injecting herself with something that may have no benefit whatsoever, and could even be harmful? Based on the NYT article, it seems like it's more of a psychological crutch that may help some people stick to their starvation diet.

No reason to take the risk, I say. I mean, while we're at it, maybe we should see if science can find a way to turn off our pancreases. Type 1 diabetics who stop taking their insulin can eat whatever they want while losing weight like crazy. You'll eventually end up in a coma or dead, but hey, you'll be a skinny little corpse!

Image source: flickr member Andres Rueda under Creative Commons

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  • Must say i am very angry when i get to know about that fact.

  • What's not mentioned is that the action of the HCG stimulates the body to release its stores of excess "abnormal" fat deposits. So, because one is eating only 500 calories, the body is able to obtain whatever it needs from the abnormal fat stores, from 1500 to 4000 calories a day, and there is no hunger. Anyone interested in the detailed research can search the web for: Pounds & Inches, A NEW...+READ

    What's not mentioned is that the action of the HCG stimulates the body to release its stores of excess "abnormal" fat deposits. So, because one is eating only 500 calories, the body is able to obtain whatever it needs from the abnormal fat stores, from 1500 to 4000 calories a day, and there is no hunger. Anyone interested in the detailed research can search the web for: Pounds & Inches, A NEW APPROACH TO OBESITY, DR. A.T.W. SIMEONS-COLLAPSE

  • why is this on CHOW?

  • What really takes the weight off is nursing. Has anyone tried artificial lactation?

  • I had a friend do this, and she has yo yo'd up and down 40 or 50 pounds ever since!

  • a lot of ignorance being shown here. I lost 30 pounds a year ago and have kept it off. Try looking at recent comments by the FDA regarding homeopathic hcg Drops which they have withdrawn from shelves. Try watching the Dr. Oz show which is still up on the internet. He had a fair and balanced show with positive and negatives but that probably will not sway people that are incapable of looking at...+READ

    a lot of ignorance being shown here. I lost 30 pounds a year ago and have kept it off. Try looking at recent comments by the FDA regarding homeopathic hcg Drops which they have withdrawn from shelves. Try watching the Dr. Oz show which is still up on the internet. He had a fair and balanced show with positive and negatives but that probably will not sway people that are incapable of looking at alternatives.-COLLAPSE

  • Why not just eat less?

  • The only thing surprising about this is that the report came from New York, not Beverly Hills.

  • Btw. I'm on sensa now. Day 2. We'll see how it goes. I sprinkled it on dinner last night and it seemed to do the trick. I stopped at dessert. lol

  • I was on it for 3 months. Daily injections. ouch. I loss 10 lbs. big whoop. I gained it back and then some! So it's another scam to me!!

  • Yes, injecting with a hormone to help with weight/fat loss is horrifying--but a 500-calorie-a-day diet doesn't seem too healthy either. What happens when you stop the hormone and start quadrupling your caloric intake? It can't be pretty.

  • And you know where they get that hCG? Pregnant women's urine.