| The Original Research by Dr. A.T.W. Simeons | | | | 1973 Study |
| The research by Dr. Simeons was published in 1954 in | | | | This study was published 10 years later, also in the |
| his book, 'Pounds and Inches', which is widely available | | | | American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (vol. 26, pp. |
| at no cost on many websites. He designed his | | | | 211-218, 1963). The researchers who conducted it, at |
| protocol to be very precise regarding the amount of | | | | the American Society of Bariatric Physicians Research |
| HCG required for injection, for the number of calories | | | | Council, studied about twice as many subjects as the |
| and the types foods allowed, and for the optimal | | | | 1963 study above. The final result was an average |
| duration of the program. He also published a brief | | | | loss of 19.96 pounds in the HCG group and 11.05 |
| synopsis of his program in the British medical journal | | | | pounds in the control group. More importantly, the |
| Lancet (vol. 2, pp. 946-947, 1954). | | | | statistical analysis supported this difference as being |
| This weight loss program has attracted considerable | | | | significant. The conclusion of this study was that HCG |
| attention from the medical community and from | | | | did cause weight loss. |
| people who have undergone treatment. Its popularity | | | | 1995 Meta Analysis |
| is one reason why so many people, including medical | | | | Meta analysis refers to a comparison of multiple |
| doctors, have decided to offer opinions on whether it | | | | studies on the same topic. This meta analysis was |
| works. The success of HCG for weight loss has been | | | | published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology |
| so great that it has attracted negative attention | | | | (vol. 40, pp. 237-243, 1995) by researchers at Vrije |
| from the FDA. | | | | University, Netherlands. They evaluated 16 studies |
| Before I go further, I want to note that the FDA is | | | | and observed that most of them were of 'poor |
| not an agency that serves human health. It is an | | | | methodological quality' (meaning, bad science). Only |
| agency that serves the financial interests of | | | | one of the 12 articles of acceptable quality showed |
| pharmaceutical companies. Negative attention from | | | | an effect on weight loss by HCG. The researchers |
| the FDA almost always means that the health | | | | concluded that 'there is no scientific evidence that |
| benefits of the treatment in question might | | | | HCG is effective in the treatment of obesity'. |
| undermine drug profits. Indeed, seeing the statement | | | | Meta analysis studies have become very popular in |
| that HCG is not approved by the FDA for weight | | | | medicine because of the notion that a trend over |
| loss is, in my opinion, support for the effectiveness | | | | multiple studies shows the truth. Unfortunately, the |
| of this protocol. | | | | basic rules of statistics invalidate any such |
| Medical Studies | | | | comparisons. Moreover, when even one study stands |
| The government's PubMed database lists more than | | | | out against the majority, it is wrong to ignore it |
| 18,000 journal articles on HCG, with less than a few | | | | completely as these researchers have done. It would |
| dozen of these having anything to do with weight | | | | be much more valuable to figure out why some |
| loss. Most of the research on this hormone involves | | | | studies give contradictory results to one another. |
| fertility, pregnancy, and the detection of cancerous | | | | This meta analysis also reveals what I call the dirty |
| tumors. What I want to do is call your attention to | | | | laundry of medical science - i.e., most research is so |
| just three studies as examples of the confusion that | | | | flawed that it is almost useless for saying anything at |
| is rampant in the medical literature on HCG and | | | | all with certainty. In fact, this is kind of a scary |
| weight loss. | | | | thought, isn't it? |
| 1963 Study | | | | Take Home Lesson |
| This study was published in the American Journal of | | | | Human subject research is the most difficult kind of |
| Clinical Nutrition (vol. 12, pp. 230-234, 1963), at the | | | | study because of so many variables that are out of |
| height of popularity of the HCG diet plan in the U.S. In | | | | the control of the experimental design. Determining |
| my reading of this article, it looks to me as though | | | | cause and effect is almost impossible. Nevertheless, |
| the researchers behind this study, from the | | | | we can see from some research that HCG can and |
| University of California, San Francisco, School of | | | | does drive weight loss. My view is that studies that |
| Medicine, followed the Simeons protocol to the letter. | | | | show this result are better in terms of sticking more |
| There was one exception: the consumption of a | | | | closely to the Simeons protocol in the experimental |
| baked potato each day, which is not on Simeons' list | | | | design, then having the study subjects adhere closely |
| of allowed vegetables. The main result of the study | | | | to it. |
| was an average loss of 6.5 pounds in the | | | | What I conclude regarding HCG and weight loss is |
| HCG-treated group, compared with an average loss | | | | based on what I have seen for myself. This includes |
| of 8.8 pounds in the untreated (control) group. The | | | | many, many people who have had the same results |
| authors concluded that the hormone did not cause | | | | that Simeons documented based on his clinical |
| weight loss. | | | | experience with thousands of patients. I have also |
| This study is remarkable for a couple reasons. One is | | | | had the same results for myself. There is nothing like |
| that, in spite of following the Simeons protocol for 40 | | | | personal experience! The key to my experience, |
| days, neither the treatment group nor the control | | | | however, was monitoring my body fat composition. |
| group came close to the amount of weight loss that | | | | Weight loss is almost irrelevant by itself. My result |
| is expected. A starvation diet alone (i.e., 550 calories | | | | was a reduction of 20 pounds AND of 6% body fat |
| per day) should have caused more weight loss than | | | | in less than 30 days. Reduction in body fat is |
| reported. In fact, one subject on HCG even gained | | | | supposed to be the main effect of HCG. |
| weight. The other reason that this study is | | | | Medical researchers are apparently going to argue the |
| remarkable is that the number of study subjects (i.e., | | | | merits of HCG and weight loss until the end of time, |
| 10 in the treatment group, 9 in the control group) | | | | citing whichever research results support their |
| and the variability of the results within each group | | | | arguments. As a scientist myself, I have no doubt |
| provided insufficient statistical power to explain | | | | whatsoever that Simeons was right and that my |
| anything at all! Indeed, this study offered no | | | | body changes occurred because of HCG. |
| comparative statistical analysis of weight loss. In | | | | One More Thing |
| other words, the results did not support any | | | | Early studies on lab animals are now beginning to |
| conclusions whatsoever. | | | | show that HCG interacts with the hormone leptin. |
| Nevertheless, one or more factors are not obvious in | | | | Leptin is the new master fat hormone that has been |
| this study. Generally when a study has such | | | | known only since 1994. Like HCG, leptin also carries a |
| insignificant results, the subjects were not compliant - | | | | signal to the hypothalamus. I predict that the more |
| i.e., they did not follow the protocol very well. The | | | | we find out about the interaction between these |
| researchers offered no comment on this possibility, | | | | two hormones, the more we will understand how |
| so we will never know why both the treatment | | | | ingenious the Simeons protocol really is. |
| group and the control group underperformed. | | | | |