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FDA’s Removal of HCG Supported by Obesity Specialists
By: Scottsdale Weight Loss Center
Published: December 12, 2011
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DENVER, Dec. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) supports the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) decision to remove homeopathic HCG weight loss products from the market. As the FDA’s news release reported, there are no FDA-approved HCG drug products for weight loss, and there is no substantial evidence that HCG increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction. ASBP Trustee Craig Primack, MD, has served as ASBP’s spokesman on HCG for many years, and stated, “As a society, we continually strive to find better weight loss treatments. Obesity is a chronic disease which is best treated by a physician who specializes in weight loss and practices medicine based on sound scientific principles. Unfortunately, HCG does not live up to those standards.”
Contrary to some advertising schemes, scientific studies do not support that the use of HCG promotes a more attractive or “normal” distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets. In fact, in most studies, HCG has performed no better than the placebo, which leads many to believe that the extreme weight loss is simply attributed to the 500-calorie diet.
Although physicians are typically allowed to prescribe medications for non-FDA-approved purposes, the FDA does not allow physicians to advertise medications for a medical purpose unless they have been FDA-approved. Many physicians along with the ASBP have voiced concerns about the use of HCG for a long time. In fact, the ASBP issued a position on the use of HCG in the treatment of obesity in 2009, which concluded that the use of HCG for weight loss is not recommended. One of the main concerns is that the 500-calorie per day diet does not provide the body with adequate nutrition and may increase the likelihood of weight regain due to the loss of muscle mass, which results in a decreased metabolic rate.
ASBP has warned dieters in the past that HCG is not a long-term solution to weight loss. Because there is no scientific evidence that HCG contributes to weight loss, the ASBP fully supports the FDA’s decision. The ASBP’s full position statement on HCG can be found at www.asbp.org.
Nick
Nick's Story
"I wish I would have come here first. We spend all our time reacting to the next great weight loss tip or program. It might work for a while, but does not last and we end up yo-yoing from one fad to the next – as we gain more weight." Read More
Gina
Lost 44.5 lbs
"I had no trouble adhering to the meals and they really helped catapult my progress! The classes were so beneficial to me because they helped change my thinking about how I viewed health, nutrition, and fitness.
I will always have my relationship with Scottsdale Weight Loss Center. They truly helped me change my life forever." Read More
Lauren
Lost 60 lbs
"Dr. Ziltzer and everyone who I have come in contact with at the Scottsdale Weight Loss office have been so encouraging and I look forward to seeing them each week. It is now a year and 2 months later since I started. I am down 60 lbs., which is the average amount a 9-year-old weighs, it is crazy to think I lost a whole person! I feel amazing, I hit my goal weight in November 2021 just before Thanksgiving. Nothing on my body hurts anymore..." Read More
Chuck
Lost 66 lbs
"The best thing I did was call the Scottsdale Weight Loss Center. I have a lot more energy, I'm not hungry, and it feels great.
You can take it from me that this is a program that produces results. The staff is always positive, supportive, and never judgmental.
Your visits always result in positive reinforcement, no matter if you had a good week or a bad week." Read More
Emily
Lost 101 lbs
"Here I am at the lowest I have been since high school weighing in at 155lbs. I have lost 101 lbs, BMI of 39 when I started, to 21.6, and of course at body fat % of 47.1 to 26.5%. I told myself by my 30th birthday I wanted to be confident in the way I look and I owe it all to SWLC. The entire staff is so welcoming and they are rooting for you just as much as you are rooting for yourself...." Read More
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Meet Our Team
Robert Ziltzer, MD, FACP, FAAP, FOMA
Obesity Medicine Certified Physician
Diana Bone, FNP-C
Specializing in Obesity Medicine
Craig Primack, MD, FACP, FAAP, MFOMA
Obesity Medicine Certified Physician
Kristen Ash, FNP-C, FNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner
Alicia Earley, FNP-C
Family Nurse Practitioner
