Hollywood diets

Dear readers,

this is going to be a loose collection of articles regarding Hollywood diet fads and showing off their stupididty (given my evil nature, I take it nobody will be surprised)
First up, the HCG diet!
HCG??? Isnt that what got Manny Ramirez into trouble?
Indeed, but read on....
The protocol for the HCG diet calls for daily injections of HCG, sometimes combined e with Vitamin B12 and a 500 cal/day diet. HCG is a glycoprotein hormone, made during pregnancy in order to maintain progesterone production. It is often used amongst bodybuilders to restart testosterone production after a steroid cycle, when the HPTA is shut down.

I am rather critical toward the HCG diet, since there is no scientific evidence of HCG having any effect on lipolysis.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/595585

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1365103/?tool=pubmed

This one is a criteria controlled meta-analysis, the key phrase being"
We conclude that there is no scientific evidence that HCG is effective in the treatment of obesity; it does not bring about weight-loss of fat-redistribution, nor does it reduce hunger or induce a feeling of well-being." Dr.Simeons also cured malaria, on a side note...

Basically, it is the 500 calories per day diet which makes for the weight loss. However, this could be had with just a simple protein-sparing diet without going into a medical grey zone. If you a re looking for a fat burning agent, the combintation of caffeine and yohimbine has proven itself many times and you do not have to go to Mexico.....
The take home message is that Hollywood stars are as prone to fall for dubious science as the rest of us.
Next diet will be: the baby food diet.
As Homer S. would say: Dont get me started...so angry!!