Physician Supervision is the Key to hCG Weight Loss Success
The IAPAM is committed to educating physicians in the industry’s best practices for medical weight loss management with hcg weight loss training. In support of this commitment, the IAPAM has completed a survey of several experts in the use of hCG in a medically supervised weight loss program. These experts agree that physician supervision is the key to successful hCG weight loss, and that patients must follow the protocol precisely and should be under a physician’s care, so that possible side effects can be understood and managed.
Proponents of hCG for weight management agree, that the ultimate success of hCG in weight loss is linked to medical supervision and strict adherence to the medical protocol designed by Dr. Simeons. It is the responsibility of health care professionals to supervise, advise, guide and control their patients health before, during and after treatment. The physician should be able to establish which patients are good candidates for treatment with hCG, and together with these patients, set realistic expectations that will allow for a successful weight loss. The rate of success in patients that are not supervised during treatment is considerably lower than those who are supervised by a physician that adheres strictly to the protocol.
In 1973 Dr. W.L. Asher and Dr. Harold W. Harper published the results of a double blind study aimed to evaluate the effects of hCG on weight loss, hunger and feeling of well being in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The results described an increased weight loss in patients undergoing treatment with hCG vs. placebo. More importantly, there were significant differences in terms of lack of hunger and increased feelings of well-being. Patients with hCG were more consistent in their adherence to the diet and were able to complete the course of treatment more successfully. These double blind studies were performed under supervision of physicians strictly following indications as set out in the Simeons protocol.
Dr. Asher and Dr. Harper then replicated the same study, this time on patients that were supervised by physicians, but using Simeons’ programs modified to varying degrees. The physicians had little or no experience with the protocol, and none of the programs considered the rigidness of the original plan. One physician allowed patients to self administer hCG injections at home, and diets, although respecting the caloric intake, were not strict as to the ingredients allowed.
Results of this experience were surprisingly negative. Drop out rate was significantly higher than those experienced in the previous study. Weight loss showed no difference between hCG and placebo treated patients, and in some cases were even below those achieved by placebo treated patients under strict supervision.
Dr. Ben Gonzalez, of the renowned Atlantis Medical Wellness Center, reinforces this point. “Patients must be evaluated and followed by a medical provider on this protocol. A full medical evaluation to look for subtle metabolic issues that can contribute to decreased overall health and increased weight must be done. Equally, a Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) can slow down the metabolism significantly and can place patients at higher risk for medical issues such as muscle wasting and kidney issues to include all out renal (kidney) failure. The hCG protocol, though it is safe and has a different pathophysiology behind it than regular VLCD do, must be monitored to ensure those issues to not arise.”
Furthermore, Dr. Gonzalez adds, some patients “are not approved for the protocol because of medical issues that are undiagnosed. This demonstrates the importance of the pre-protocol examination and labs etc.” Interestingly, if these issues are found and addressed before contemplating the protocol, sometimes these remediations take care of the weight, and “the protocol is unnecessary.”
Dr. Scott Morris, of the respected Chicago-based Complete Clinics, adds that, “the importance of physician supervision [also] revolves around preventing or managing side effects.”
For example, “patients undergoing surgical procedures require alterations of their hCG regimen, as do patients who experience menstrual irregularities following the initiation of hCG therapy also require alterations.” Equally, the protocol is undertaken only after a comprehensive medical, during the assessment phase of the program, where patients can reveal medical histories containing certain risk factors that might require remediation before beginning the protocol (e.g. history of hormone sensitive cancers, etc.).
Dr. Deb Musso, of the successful Sea Change New York Wellness Centre, also finds that medical management is essential to patient success with hCG and weight loss. “Supervision is important because patients are less likely to change the protocol or add a little bit here and there. They stay on point, and they understand each phase of the protocol and the reasons for each phase,” suggests Dr. Musso.
It is clear that the success of hCG for weight loss is linked to a trained physician providing expert supervision to his/her hCG patients. Physicians who can include a tested hCG protocol, such as the IAPAM’s Exlusive hCG Protocol, as part of their medical weight management tool kit will have a competitive advantage in the healthcare arena, and a proven offering to support the weight loss goals of their patients.
References
The IAPAM’s Medically Supervised Weight Loss training program. The program is designed to help physicians incorporate a medical weight loss program into their medical practice.
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