hCG Diet: Miracle Diet or Unhealthy Fad?

The hCG diet is making headlines again–and why shouldn’t it? Promises of 1 pound a day of weight loss are miraculous, and what dieter doesn’t want to lose weight as quickly as possible? But what’s also making news are doctors’ concerns that this fad diet is unhealthy. So, is the hCG diet a good way for you to shed some pounds in time for warm weather?

The answer is almost certainly no. The hCG diet relies on several misguided methods of weight loss. The first is near-starvation calorie restrictions (500 calories a day is the average). Not only is it dangerous to consume so few calories in a day, but it seldom leads to weight being kept off, and most find that as soon as they resume normal eating, their weight rockets right back up. Another concern is the use of hCG itself. This dangerous, expensive, and untested hormone is said to help dieters to feel satisfied even if they are eating so little, however, testing of this theory has shown the hormone to be no more effective than sugar water.

So why all the hype? Well, we are human, and humans love to get something for nothing, especially when weight loss is concerned. If you’re looking to lose some weight, the best, and safest, way is still old fashioned portion control and exercise."