Is the hcg diet effective?

No; sounds unsafe: The HCG diet has a person eating 500 calories a day for more than a month. That's just one big slice of pizza a day. A 4-month old baby eats 500 calories a day. Anybody on 500 calories a day is on a starvation diet and will lose weight. It doesn't sound safe. Extremely low calorie diets don't work because the weight comes back when one starts eating again. Long-term lifestyle changes are needed.

NO: I support the us fda decision to remove HCG weight loss products from the market. Scientific studies do not support the use of HCG promotes a "normal" distribution of fat, or that it decreases hunger. In studies comparing weight loss with psmf (protein sparing modified fasts) 500-800 calorie a day diets vs HCG diet (500 cal/day for 30 days), HCG diets do not perform any better than the psmf.

Hooey!: Bogus science, no substantive evidence to support its use, very low calorie diet that in itself can cause weight loss; can have significant side effects; banned by fda and mlb. Avoid it. Think twice about practitioners recommending it.

Yes: The HCG diet was originally developed by a.T.W. Simeons M.D. During the 1940's -1950's. It has been used all over the world for over 50 years. This method is extremely safe & effective when used under the care of an experienced & trained md. Apparently HCG has an effect on your hypothalamus, increasing adiponectin levels & reducing leptin resistance. The method must be followed strictly to work.