Synergy Wellness & Weight Loss Sees the Use of HCG in the Treatment of Obesity - WTNZ FOX 43 Knoxville, TN

Synergy Wellness & Weight Loss Sees the Use of HCG in the Treatment of Obesity

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SOURCE: Synergy Wellness & Weightloss

There is no magic shot that will help you to lose weight short of hard work and dedication to the task at hand.

Columbia, SC (PRWEB) November 30, 2012

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) has been used in dietary programs for the benefit it may have for weight loss. It is no more than a way to charge patients for something that was no more effective than a placebo. In order to be fair and unbiased, Dr. J Marshall Dent went to the authority on obesity – the American Board of Bariatric Physicians – for their position statement.

“The combination of educated food choices, behavior modification and exercise can give one a reasonable chance to maintain their weight for many years to come.

HCG is a hormone normally secreted by the trophoblastic cells of the placenta during pregnancy. It was first described as treatment for obesity in conjunction with a very low calorie diet by Dr. A. Simeons in 1954. The Simeons Method consisted of a rigid diet of about 500 calories per day combined with 125 units of HCG injected six days per week for eight weeks. The protein intake on the Simeons Diet consisted of about 45 to 50 grams per day. The Simeons Method was very popular in the 1970’s, and advocates claimed that the Method had numerous advantages, including rapid weight loss with minimal hunger, no weakness and dramatic loss of fat in the stomach, hips, thighs and upper arms.

After a series of clinical trials disputing the effectiveness of the Simeons Method, it fell from favor; but, popular demand for HCG in the treatment of obesity has recently resurfaced in the United States. It is currently available for injection and as a sublingual tablet.

A number of subsequent studies produced evidence that the HCG in the Simeons Method was ineffective, and the weight loss was entirely due to the diet. A Meta-Analysis in 1995 of prior studies concluded that there was no scientific evidence that HCG was effective in the treatment of obesity. The meta-analysis found insufficient evidence supporting the claims that HCG is effective in altering fat distribution, hunger reduction or inducing a feeling of well-being. The authors stated, “...the use of HCG should be regarded as an inappropriate therapy for weight reduction...”

The results of the meta-analysis support a firm standpoint against this improper indication. Restraints on physicians practicing this therapy can be based on our findings. PubMed and Google Scholar searches (December 2009) revealed no favorable reports on the Simeons Method since the 1995 Meta-Analysis. On the other hand,there have been no significant harmful effects of HCG injections in the medical literature.

The diet employed in the Simeons Method provides a daily protein intake below the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) recommendations. The caloric intake of the Simeons Diet is similar to the Very Low-Calorie Diet (VLCD), but the protein intake is lower than that prescribed in the VLCD in current use. A further criticism of the Simeons Diet is that the amounts of protein per servings do not reach 30 grams – the threshold dose required for the initiation of muscle protein synthesis.

Recent studies indicate that HCG injections in men, especially with testosterone deficiency, can produce a slight gain in muscle mass, which is thought to be due to rises in testosterone levels. The dose in the latter study was 250 units twice weekly. However, no studies have been reported that muscle mass changes in patients before and after weight loss with the Simeons Method. Therefore, one cannot assume that weight loss with the Simeons Method will result in a net gain in muscle mass. There are no reports in the medical literature regarding the effectiveness of sublingual HCG.

Summary:

• Numerous clinical trials have shown HCG to be ineffectual in producing weight loss.
• HCG injections can induce a slight increase in muscle mass in androgen deficient males.
• The diet used by the Simeons Method provides lower protein intake that is advisable in view of current knowledge and practice.
• The overwhelming majority of medical reports are critical of the use of HCG injections in weight loss.
• Physicians employing HCG or the diet recommended by Simeons may expose themselves to criticism from other physicians and from local, state and national medical boards.

The conclusion of the American Board of Bariatric Physicians:

• The Simeons Diet for rapid weight loss is not recommended.
• The Simeons Diet is not recommended at all.
• The use of HCG for weight loss is not recommended.

Many feel that the use of HCG is only a ploy to take advantage of obese people who will do or pay anything that will help them to lose weight. I wrote this article to educate the readers of She Magazine that there is no magic shot that will help you to lose weight short of hard work and dedication to the task at hand. I have found the best way for one to lose weight is through education of the proper foods to eat, the correction of poor eating patterns that is consistent with mindless eating and learning the art of portion control. Taking a self-analysis of our eating patterns is the first step to achieving one's weight goals.

Once the weight goal is reached, then maintenance becomes the primary focus. The combination of educated food choices, behavior modification and exercise can give one a reasonable chance to maintain their weight for many years to come.

Dr. Dent only uses Bio-Identical Hormones in his practice. If you have questions about the information in this article, you may contact Dr. Dent at Complete Women’s Health Care in Florence.

Dr. Dent is Board Certified in Family Practice and Obstetrics and Gynecology and also holds an Advanced Certification in Menopausal Medicine.

About the company:
Synergy Wellness & Weight Loss all came together from combining hormonal expertise with bariatric training. This combination provided the "synergy system" for weight loss. This system utilizes bio-identical hormone balance with metabolic balance, combined with effective diets, to achieve maximum weight loss. Once the patient was hormonally and metabolically balanced, the maintenance of weight was much easier.

The vision is to teach this system to other doctors around the country so they can empower their patients to feel as good as they possibly can.

For more information on this system and J. Marshall Dent, III, M.D., please visit http://www.synergywellnessandweightloss.com.

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