Previously posted on Diet.com!
Once again
I must take issue with you.
But I digress.Has anyone ever heard of Garcinia cambogia? It’s Oz’s newest darling. He was gushing over this stuff, calling it the “holy grail of weight loss!”
Well,
of course I was excited to drink the Koolaid too, but first I hungrily googled the
heck out of it… which I wondered if Dr. Oz had done.
If
so, he might have mentioned the study in
the Journal of the American Medical Association, a twelve-week
randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. “Garcinia cambogia failed to produce significant weight loss and
fat mass loss beyond that observed with placebo.”
Oops! Faux pas!!!
In fact, this study
was actually criticized for using a
high-fiber diet, which is thought to impair its absorption. Criticized?
A high fiber diet is basically fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Too bad eating healthfully is
contra-indicated for this panacea.
The NYU Medical Center newsletter succinctly reviewed an eight week study
of 60 overweight individuals finding some weight loss. Another trial found no effect on
appetite. One more study tested to see
if it could cause weight loss by altering metabolism, but no effects on metabolism
were found.
Taken together, I’d say this is all very underwhelming. Furthermore, I would toss the lot of them
down the drain, because none have any long term follow-up. Everyone knows that most people gain back
lost weight, regardless of how it’s lost!
How dare he sing such glaring praises, before any credible evidence is
in!
I could see why Dr. Oz might be giddy about it, before results are
conclusive. This natural extract
supposedly boosts serotonin, which helps with mood, and might conceivably
reduce emotional eating. Furthermore, it
supposedly inhibits an enzyme from turning sugar into fat, and instead
encourages the liver to turn it into energy and lean muscle mass, instead of
fat.
So what happens after people go off this? Don’t know; there isn’t any research. But there is a body of work to suggest that the
body may overcompensate, such as losing weight on amphetamines, and then
rebounding when going off.
I believe the two part system, of trying to lose weight and then
trying to maintain that loss, has failed most people, regardless of how weight
was lost. We need one way of living
healthfully forever.
A healthy lifestyle
includes a variety of natural foods, listening to hunger and satiety, coping
effectively, and moving your body. Genetics
account for the rest, including actual weight.
The scale will reflect that ideal combination of heredity and lifestyle;
nature and nurture. Some people will be
heavier, and some will be thinner, which is OK.
Diversity is natural, and desirable.
If someone was restricting
food before moving towards a healthy lifestyle, they will gain weight. If
they were overeating and not moving their body, their weight will naturally
move towards a healthier point in their set point range. Weight fluctuation
is a byproduct of living a healthy lifestyle, and not a valid goal or
indicator in itself.
Let’s finally get off the
scale, and focus more on health.
