So what are you waiting for???? Help me share the greatest weight loss program available for the 21st century. Definitely the funniest. We all need a laugh. Remember laughter burns calories. Include it in your daily diet.
OK, so what's really lurking beneath my silliness today, on this wonderful Memorial Day? Something more serious.
The War on Fat
Speaking of fighting wars, have you heard of the controversy at hand over the new HCG diet? Perhaps you haven't even heard of the diet much less the controversy.
First let's take a peek at why Americans are so intent on finding the perfect pill to shed their unwanted pounds. Did you know 300,000 deaths a year occur in the U.S. directly attributed to poor dietary habits and lack of physical activity? Two-thirds of adults are overweight. We spend $33.5 billion, yes, I said BILLION dollars per year on weight management products and programs. So what's wrong with this fat picture? Why are we not the skinniest people on the planet?
What is the HCG diet?
HCG or hCG is really not new. Kinda of like Pilates. You know, it pops on the scene and everyone thinks it's fresh off the market place? You may have heard about it on the Mike and Juliet Morning Show (ABC) or in one of Kevin Trudeau's books, or maybe a friend.
Actually a British doctor by the name of ATW Simeons began researching hGC and finding great results with obese people back in 1954. His research is quite interesting. He wasn't on a money market binge; however people have abused his findings. And all for the sake of the almighty buck. The nature of man.
HCG is an acronym for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, which is a substance produced by the placenta during pregnancy in large amounts. HCG was named in 1927 by Ascheim and Zondek after they discovered it in the urine of pregnant women. Without getting too detailed, part of its name came from gonads, because the substance had an action on ovaries and testicles. Pharmacies have sold it since 1930.
Part of the regime is to daily take the script orally or by injection. It curbs your appetite, and you limit your caloric intake to 500. Therein is part of the concern.
But proponents of it say that it not only helps you lose weight, but it reshapes your figure. It's supposed to decrease fat, and not destroy muscle as most diets have a tendency to do.
Dr. Simeons was totally against people using the diet, unless they were willing to adhere to the precision of the rules. He totally believed in its success if they followed the plan.
What happens after you come off of hCG and the diet? That's the other concern. Most people gain back weight and more after dieting. And being on 500 calories creates health questions for nutritionists as well as medical professionals. We know that if our intake of calories is low, when we start eating normal amounts again, the body's metabolism typically slows to a crawl, creating more weight gain. What you already know, right? But advocates of hCG say that's not the case with the outcome if you go by the protocol.
OK, so around and around we could go on the pros and cons. I'm merely trying to report. Now you need to do your own research.
It really boils down to what people are willing to risk. Anytime you use a pharmaceutical, you are at risk to some measure. Have you ever taken a closer look at the list of possible side effects on your drugs? Did you know that in order for a substance to be approved as a legal drug, it has to be toxic? It goes through L.D. 50 testings (Lethal dose=L.D.). I've heard some experts on the matter ask. "Can you posion yourself to health?" Good thought.
I'm not saying all drugs are unnecessary in the society we live in. But I do understand that if we gave our bodies what they needed to heal themselves, we wouldn't require drugs, at least not at the extreme levels in which we depend on them for help. That's a topic for another article.
Back to the HCG diet. Many are praising its thinning abilities. Many are giving loud voice to the fattening problems.
I am sure no xpert on this matter. So I'm clearly not advocating this program. I'm all about going green and clean. As one professional on the matter stated, "I want to see how much these people on the HCG diet weigh in five years." I'm with her.
There is no silver bullet. The gold bullet, on the other hand, might work. That being, ourselves taking full responsibility of our lives, our health. Now that's a plan for Memorial Day.
P. S. The photo: I bet I could use those scales as weights in my next Pilates leg-lift series. Talking about challenging balance and stability! Then again, I don't think I want a cracked head. Use at your own risk and for sure, do not try this at home....or any other place for that matter!
GHI Medical, HCGobesity.com, Mike and Juliet Morning Show, HCGdiettips.com
Enjoy
