The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  and the Federal Trade Commission said over-the-counter weight loss products containing human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) are fraudulent and illegal, and the agencies have told seven manufacturers to stop selling them.  They have become a popular but fraudulent fad.

"There is no substantial evidence HCG increases weight loss beyond that resulting from the recommended caloric restriction," said Elizabeth Miller, acting director of the FDA's fraud unit for OTC products.

The manufacturers' recommended diet while taking HCG is as low as 500 calories, low enough to create a risk of malnutrition, electrolyte imbalance, cardiac arrhythmias, and gallstone formation, Miller said.   Almost anyone who limits their diet to 500 calories will loose weight without ANY supplements, making the supplement useless.

The warning letters sent to manufacturers of the products note that HCG has not received FDA approval for any weight loss indication. The substance is approved as an injectable drug for certain forms of female infertility and is therefore clearly subject to FDA regulation.

HCG weight-loss products are typically sold over the Internet, often promoted with unsolicited "spam" emails, with such claims as "Lose 26 pounds in 26 days" and "Resets your metabolism."

The companies have 15 days to inform the FDA of the steps they have taken to correct the violations. Theoretically, the firms could seek FDA approval for the weight-loss claims, but the agencies expect that they will simply stop selling the products.  If not, the FDA will take action.   Many of these products are labeled as homeopathic remedies, but they are illegal whether the word "homeopathic" is used or not, said Richard Cleland, assistant director of the FTC's advertising practices division.   If the product is marketed or meets federal standards to qualify as a drug, but is not FDA-approved, it cannot be sold legally, Cleland said.

The seven companies receiving the warning letters, in addition to HCG Diet Direct, included Nutri Fusion Systems, Natural Medical Supply (doing business as HCG Complete Diet), HCG Platinum, Theoriginalhcgdrops.com, and HCG-miracleweightloss.com.

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Comments

The trouble is these days so many people are relying on the internet to get 'online prescriptions' etc, and unfortunately it is becoming an all too available marketplace for everyone.

I found this blog. Very valid points made here and shall return for further updates.

I would be conscious of any HCG that is sold over the internet or over the counter. If you are looking into an HCG weight loss diet then I recommend going to a medical clinic that can actually qualify you. Not everyone is a candidate

Thank you for the post I am glad I found this blog I do not know why people fall for these kind of products in the first place.You have made some crucial points here I will bookmark this and come back for future updates.

I'm so glad the government are taking actions. A lot of people rely to this stuffs, and it is only proper that it should be well screened and completely healthy.

Rather than using any pills for weight loss, i would prefer natural way, like exercise and diet control.

I can say that external incentives don't drive people in the long term. In this case, if the motive for losing weight is monetary (which is probably the case), there will be a huge drop out within 6 months to a year. People must want to lose weight for non-incentive reasons and they will stick to it. Moreover a weight loss program must be easy and not taking.

Thanks for the info, is something that many know and that's good to know to handle the proper use of weight loss products

Why do people keep falling for the pills, and potions and the charms of the snake-oil salesmen. Losing weight is simple. Excercise more, eat less, and drink a lot of water. Losing weight is also hard. People have a hard time doing these 3 simple things, but it is the only way.

Wow glad I found this blog. Very valid points made here and shall return for further updates.

it's a diet that encourages the public to become anorexic. 500 calories a day is a starvation diet and depriving your body WILL cause internal damage. They dupe people into buying the drops which do absolutely nothing. Money > mental and physical health.

As a nurse practitioner I want to stress that it is so important to work with your medical provider to guarantee that you are maintaining a healthy weight loss plan.

500 calories a day? That's beyond insane, i'm glad they got taken off the market, that's starvation not weight loss, anyone who eats 500 calories a day is kidding themselves.

I agree with what has John mentioned above. Losing weight is not difficult. If you concentrate on shedding 10% of your daily food and do regular exercise (30 min of walking daily) you can be losing in excess of 300 calories a day, which translates into more than 15 lbs weight loss in a year. People just need to concentrate on a longer term result and stay away from sharks who are selling products to people who are desperate to lose weight fast. EDITOR'S NOTE: Many people especially as we age put on a few pounds a year...so the point about 15 lbs. a year using this writer's advice is pretty encouraging. 15 pounds to someone only slightly gaining weight is a lot, and doable!

A lot of those hcg drops are fake what makes you lose weight is the the 500 calorie diet you follow along side the hcg program

I must say that I almost bought it because of Dr. Oz. He recommended it.

Totally agree, anything that promises you quick weight loss while you sit in the couch to watch tv is kind of a scam

A good thing these weight loss products are forbidden now. There are plenty of healthy diet plans to lose weight. Search for one that suits your needs and stick to it for a month..and enjoy the results!

Thanks to FDA to stop their selling their product.What kind of people to sell fraudulent and illegal products.Anyway thanks for sharing

yeah first of all it's shocking that government taking action, because these products have more harms then it's benefits.

It's about time this silly 'panacea' weight loss product was pulled.

I do not think that Canada has outlawed this weight loss HCG. I must say that I almost bought it because of Dr. Oz. He recommended it. At any rate there are lots of people in Ottawa, Canada selling it over the web. It is not a good thing to take and I do hope that we outlaw it here.

The removal of these products from the consumers view has been a long time coming. When we add extra unwanted items to our currently self-sustaining bodies we receive adverse reactions. Natural weight loss is definately the way to go and the only way our bodies will allow it to happen.

Is losing weight by any method other then exercise and eating appropriate portions of a healthy diet really safe. There are so many weight loss things on the shelf I don't know what I can or can't trust.

Removing HCG weight loss products from market is good news....