Professional Documents
Culture Documents
AMERICAN
JOURNAL
OF June,
(LINICAL
NUTRITION
Vol.
22,
No.
6,
1969, zn
PP.
686695
Prz,hd
Special
Article
Chorionic
Further
Gonadotropin
Clinical
A.
in Obesity
Observations
GUSMAN,
HARRY
M.D.1
Sciences arc judged by their fruits and in medical practice the outcome of a treatment is no less a test of the doctors use of his conceptual scheme than is the outcome of a laboratory experiment a test of the theory of the experiment.
Lord Bacon (1)
some
of been
the far-fetched willing to try in I know that any the that until matter
in
apthe
alone. decade,
that
to be
significant
The litstatistics
which show that the death rate is higher among the obese of every age group. No informed person would deny that obesity is a cause for concern or that it is a legitimate-even essential-subject for much further scientific and clinical investigation. The truth is that science has not yet produced an explanation for the disease, and obesity remains puzzling subjects in cine. At a time of successfully heart, it pricked seemingly is only when simple one of the practice the of most medi-
traditional concepts of the cause of obesity, most physicians have clung to the view that obesity is caused by overeating, pure and simple, i.e., greater than energy. Naturally, the intake of calories as food the expenditure of calories the treatment offered by these is as
physicians consists of a reduced diet, a lecture on self-discipline, haps some medication. Otherwise, control has been relegated to
people get fat. The result is that a subject that is, in fact, still enshrouded in mystery calls forth many dogmatic and doctrinaire pronouncements from people otherwise famous for professional caution. It over is a little embarrassing my 40 years of medical
address: Ohio 16611 44120. 686 Chagrin
yourself project. Some have treated it as a moral problem rather than a medical problem, verbally punishing the patient for alleged deviation from the diet and thus adding more guilt guilt-laden obese patient. This treatment most cases, and it produces has give sionally up treating there The is is doomed the inevitable caused many obesity a tendency been subtly-other result has to the to already in to dis-
to look practice
back and
altogether.
Occaphysicians a flourish-
1Present
Shaker Heights,
Boulevard,
Chorionic ing of fad diets and parascientific of metabolism. I am one of the diehards who to treat the condition seriously. that obesity is more than a simple ance of the caloric balance sheet there During ing Dr. is a more the obesity A. T. past intricate 10 years process
I have
Obesity
687 afford a precise, replithe results of which are In my judgment, Dr. satisfies Dr. the he which all Simeons theoretical developed of these method framethe re-
work.
treat-
with a method developed by W. Simeons (3) that uses human (HCG). patients I of have both
chorionic treated
sexes, aged 15 to 75.2 Since all were private patients no double-blind tests or other experimental studies were undertaken. It is with consternation that I must admit I cannot yet fully explain why Dr.
of different types of fat during pregnancy of HCG of HCG in the treatment new definite concept of metabolic
of
Simeons method works. noted that not everyone that it does work My quickly nit) clinic has
most but also
And, shares
it should be my finding
caused by a breakmechanism located in or hypothalamus. He center (3). among the hypothalamus first in eviin intake
his safest
calls this the fat-regulating Although Simeons was to suggest the role of the obesity, dence the of
to
the
productive.
the literature abounds with some regulating mechanism that governs the
According to the dictates method, a new theoretical be incorporated knowledge except research. replication here
is
hypothalamus
into on to to
the
the the
of food and its the field have presence of a nism. noted insects Sir Vincent
utilization (4-8). Others in expressed belief in the similar regulating mechaB. Wigglesworth in his importance work (9), the with of the
In
meticulously
being tested,
original
clinicians
nervous system as a source of secretions that regulate metabolism and insists that evidence points to similar action in mammals. The genetic this concept, various from that (10, types their they 11).
concern works-as
as
is
far
whether long as
as the
new
safe. In is
cerned, the new theory should tellectually satisfying interpretation processes underlying observable ena,
2
give
factor in obesity fits into since offspring can inherit of regulating antecedents in various the other mechanisms same way attributes
should
For
not
original
00337
from
violate
data of
ASIS
known
these
National
inherit
the
patients,
Document
Publications
Service, c/o CCM Information Sciences, Inc., 22 West 34th Street, New York, N. Y. 10001, remitting $1.00 for microfiche or $3.00 for photocopies.
Different
Types
of Fat
688
adipose cells in the obese mal fat cells. These obese more numerous, but the larger these less cells. dicate the and seems overstuffed efficiently This that abnormal
Gusman differ from norcells are not only individual cell is point, the patient often and frustrated, and the The increased food intake replenishes the normal tient feels much better, is perpetuated the best to reduce and does are or even explanation weight. probably failures Pregnancy There
nutritional
overstuffed. Furthermore, cells metabolize glucose than the normal adipose infrom evidence fat tissue of the would differs obese. to good as strucstorage serves to and a pad which for prothe in we
becomes depressed diet is abandoned. that follows soon fat stores, the paand the overweight increased. for This the many is
deposits
emergency
kind
types
of
of
cells
utilizable. of
pregnancy
it provides without
serve fat as well as the abnormal deposits are placed at the disposal growing fetus. Simeons has suggested it is HCG this center. the presence of during pregnancy change If true, large that quantities brings
It also provides the skin which the for all highest energy, over the possible a certain body
tration
of fuel
phenomena
storage energy
of fuel. when
This is starvation
forced on the individual protracted illness. Even if this normal fat to capacity sidered to be obesity. A bnormal fat tissue tion, in certain parts which the obese patient of fat is also a potential
but tional is not immediately Only emergencies.
woman may gain weight during but she never becomes obese in sense of the word. The excess fat evenly distributed all over the if an obese woman best time, does and without bethe
it is the
is that accumulaof the body, from suffers. This type reserve for fuel,
available after in nutri-
the will
fat
reserves
are
exhausted
The presence of HCG in the body as such has no reducing action. A loss of weight can only be brought about by a concomitant nutritional deficit. During pregnancy the needs of the embryo act in this direction with HCG this a very low (500 The Nature but in treating deficit must be kcal) diet. the obese obtained by
yield its abnormal fat to be utilized for the emergency. When an obese patient severely reduces his diet he first utilizes his normal fat reserves By the hausted to make time and the the up the normal abnormal nutritional deficit. exbereserves are fat tissues
Found only during a protective influence nutrition of mother has long been called mone of pregnancy. of the most important nancy and, therefore,
gin to make up the nutritional deficit, the patient is already complaining of weakness and hunger while the ugly fat deposits-of which he originally wished to rid himself-have hardly been reduced. At this
and baby. In fact, it the protective horIt could well be one hormones in pregin the propagation
Chorionic of our attention Human first utilized Aschheim the urine eral
rhagic
689 as a million a dosage of of treatto time, of insuothers. where single has HCG clini-
race. Yet, it has in research. chorionic by the two and Zondek, of pregnant centimeters
into immature
not
received
gonadotropin German who discovered women. When were produced the basis pregnancy,
test
a course
ment lasting 40 days. Many physicians needlessly hesitate use small doses of HCG for a limited although such lin, powerful cortisone, they prescribe hormones estrogen, daily as and thyroid, many doses
cubic
injected
mice,
cutaneously
follicles this
in
Aschheim-Zondek
Because
stimulated,
thought
the the to be
In the many thousands of cases HCG has been employed, not a substantiated case of adverse reaction been reported. Clearly, Dr. treatment can be acceptable cian as a safe procedure. What Much method, Reports most of from men the basic I have criticism my own I have or in the Let A bout has both have Its Effectiveness? been in written this been about Simeons to the
misnamed human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). It has since been established that the observed changes can be brought about
only anterior in immature pituitary animals glands with intact
(14).
The
conclu-
sion, tropic
is that a sex
action is probably produced by stimulation of the hypothalamus, which in turn influences the anterior pituitary gland. It should not be confused with gonadotropic hormones of the pituitary, namely, follicle-stimulating mone Only properties searched. nal of a metabolic Is HGG (FSH) quite of and luteinizing recently HCG an have been article referred with (15). hormone the true anterior hor(LH). the re-
the adverse criticism has come who have disregarded some of rules of the procedure. carefully examined all the adverse in an attempt to reconcile it with clinical found observations. In basic methodological errors, and my remains unshaken. the opposition. six negative articles criticism has been 33 patients with a diet saline. of
I
each
case flaws
confidence In all,
some of actively in to
there which
hormone
complex
He patients
treated
with Both
prescribed
about
Consider the following facts a) Its universal existence and in large amounts, during
about
TABLE
Author
Year
Number of
Doubleblind tests
33 196 42 20 48 none
reference
11 12 none 11 24 none
numbers.
blood stream of both mother and fetus during the entire pregnancy, without any untoward effect on any organ system of
either the mother or a fetus of either sex.
al. (19)
(20)
1962
are
c) The through
of for
surplus 9 months
HCG during
Numbers
690
kcal (in food amounts instead of calories),
Gusman One significant bears emphasis. laboratory tests tients treated, feature of this report A considerable number of was performed on all paincluding BMR, fasting
and a nurse visited their homes daily to administer the HCG. Patients were not observed by a physician except at the beginning and end of the experiment. Average loss of weight in all 44 patients was 20 lb. in 40 days. His series proved that patients can lead a normal life and perform their usual daily tasks on the prescribed diet. Conclusion: Simeons method is effective, but HCG is only a placebo. Came. He used Simeons method in about tests) over proved 200 and 20 of lb. the patients (only 12 were placebo his patients lost an average of in a 500 6-week kcal admitted but saline and period. the time the found injections He aplimit
blood sugars, PBI, serum cholesterol, and serum lipid concentrations. All of these were done at the beginning and end of treatments with no appreciable change in values. produce organ
Frank.
that HCG does not effect on any of the treated but because 24 it obese was
subjects
thought to be impractical standpoint of office traffic of the patient he altered technique recognizable to such from
of HCG lost in weight almost as much as those that received HCG. In other words, he approved of the method, but questioned the effectiveness Kalina. He of HCG. used Simeons method in 42
few of the authors important discrepancies: a) He prescribed a daily diet of 1,030 kcal (instead of 500); b) Each patient received three weekly injections of 200 units of HCG (instead of daily injections of 125 units); c) Each injection was given by an Army deep that corpsman subcutaneously (instead of intramuscularly). The author states he examined and interviewed each at tloes not the beginning mention of whether the he study, ever
patients over a period of 2 years. His report was in the form of a letter to the editor of The Lancet, in which he claimed that he did not get the good results reported by the others, but concluded, In spite of the shortcomings mechanisms involved, this procedure a useful pdtients.
about
participant but he
saw them again after that. Naturally, this study failed to prove or disprove anything. McGanity. His criticisms were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in answer to a query on HCG. Since lie does not claim to have tried HCG in to assume treating that he obesity, it is reasonable was asked by the editors
raig
He further agrees with Sohar the doubtful value of HCG. et al. This report covers 20 women 11 of whom
technique.
patients,
double-blind
received The
by confoods kcal by
to answer the query because of the Obstetrics-Gynecolof the University of Texas and is undoubtedly famil-
weekly. period
was about 6.5 lb., considerably expected 20 lb. or more Sohar and Came. Thus,
received another negative vote, despite the small number of cases in the study and the admittedly poor cooperation of the subje(ts in the matter of proper diet.
iar with the physiology of the human hormone of pregnancy known as HCG. He takes Dr. Simeons to task for choosing a commercial lay magazine to disseminate his information instead of a medical journal. This publications Tue Journal is entirely appeared of the untrue in The American as the first Lancet and Geriatric
Chorionic Society in the caustic years lay and before press. His decidedly not claim anything remarks unjust, to have
Gonadotropin appeared are rather considering tried the tried tients-yet adherence is the some In
in the
Obesity method only to the clinically McGanity daily 500 more than found no continued untoward the these in obese
691 pa-
contends that kcal for 40 days to obesity. effects diet of critical the paAll and
that he does method. Furthermore, the background was attacking.3 with book the author which
hazardous
tients he neglected to investigate of the individual whom he He carelessly links him of Calories the Pure Food made Fiction Dont and possible List Count-a Drug of Deto be best-
several points emerge: a) The number of cases author is too small to draw I well in about skeptical claimed. recall the about Only that after using
is about as pertinent as of Calories Dont Count because method both of are ob-
first 200 patients, I too was the results that Dr. Simeons after my visit to his clinic in exactly improve. only the to his
stetricians McGanity
choice
for weight reduction, reliable reduction maintaining the ing level tion ing sole must treatment, exercise longer disturbance it were, long It above
Long
the old unintake while of activity by the recommendaas recommendfor regimens during that we can sheet. have of all has
in this
or same
procedure
the others
not
had
work,
misgivings
of energy intake.
increas-
maintaining This sugar realistic of diabetes weight-reducing deficit true programs, balance would to only note that
outset
of their
studies.
This
is unfortunate,
reduction that and will claim of the ago. help that the
intake mellitus.
the
treatment include
for it is hardly conducive to unbiased research. c) Where individual adherence to a strict diet is the key factor of a clinical experiment, little the ber the value same of double-blind unless
prepared
it is true
is of of
very food
in
intake
participants
is carefully
diet calories
and of
the them by
exact
overweight caloric
is simply
carefully
Unless variance
problem
solved
aspect
is interesting authors,
before he
McGanity
interested
became
Dr.
search
With ment
Simeons scientist
his of malaria,
had in
contributions
distinguished the
bubonic
himself of
the plague
as
and leprosy,
represcribed
field
to
tropical
diagnosis and
medicine.
treatcan
foods) daily
division of
of
of two
units of
meals, of liquids.
HCG
including
given deep
2 quarts for 40
be included the discovery of the use of injectable atebrin for malaria (for which he was awarded Red Cross Order of Merit) and a new method
staining malaria parasites now known as Simeons
2) The
daily
dose
6 days
125 weekly
a of
intragluteally, 3) Daily
discuss
to approximate
daily
interviews progress.
normal
with
to stay
patient
with is
treatments. to scrutinize
program and
and
until attempt
stain.
He
also
built
the
first
model
leper
colony
the reached
in India
and
has
a long
weight
his credit.
Under
the British
he
was
Director
Who
of
Medical
of India Services
toward of exercise
good
eating
habits
at the
conclusion
(Whos
in Europe).
of the program.
692 d) tially Of the above the six original studies, cannot authors five
Gusman
substanof Dr. claim stressed they the eral hundred clinicians all over the world
altered
technique
treating many thousands of cases successfully is completely discounted. These include published papers by Simeons (2224); Lebon (25-27); Harris and (28); Hutton (29-31); Politzer, and Flaks (32); and others. Neither alleged technique Dr. several have Simeons nor any hundred adherents ever claimed that Warsaw Bersohn of the to his this is
same criticism no significant difference in weight loss between patients given HCG or a placebo. It is my impression that Dr. Simeons concurs with this conclusion. Neither Simeons nor anyone else ever claimed that the injection of HCG alone could accomplish Even without there has always overweight duced his patient weight the loss of weight. any medication at existed the strong-willed in who spite successfully of all the all, rediffi-
treating obesity for a long time and have had an opportunity to employ methods and compare them with fruitful other find this method more any other so far recommended. Clinical I have Findings chosen to study the records
culties. Unfortunately, the vast majority of obese patients do not fall into this category. To most of them, dieting is a most unhappy time of their lives. They are constantly hungry, weak, complaining, and generally patients out of sorts. This under the HCG is not so with and 500 kcal profestheir they feel hungry of on enis are con-
of my
technique. The most hardened sional dieters will often volunteer reactions different. nor tired, well-being, previous The that Most somehow of them this time are neither
those of 3 weeks treatment and those of 6 weeks. If they did not conclude at least 20 days they were not included. For those patients who did not conclude 6 weeks, the weight recorded at the end of 3 weeks changed was used to 3 weeks. and their category
diets. above
reports
tire literature quoted against put trolled is not not feel forth as
which criticism method. They evidence from that the use of careful scrutiny, holds up.
Of the last 500 patients who consulted me, 450 completed 3- or 6-week courses. This in itself indicates an advantage over previous methods in that 90% of those attempting treatment for their obesity were enough who able to stay with the to receive some benefit Table
ii
II
HCG
I do
On the other
hand,
the evidence
of sevTArni
is a record
Patients
Number
receiving
Age, years
treatment
Average age Number at 3 weeks Average loss, lb., at 3 weeks Number at 6 weeks Average loss lb., at 6 weeks
Males Females
81
18
82 100
15-75
15-72
41
39 40
67
327 394
15
12 13.5
90
320 410
28
23 25.5
369 450
Total
Chorionic received
of either
in
693 treatshow
ment
As in all of obesity
tients treatment;
charted
of is in of
how-
each
the most striking and the most satisfying results. With regulated rest periods between 6-week courses of treatment, many of these more. sults who obese Of successfully special reduced those markedly diabetes 100 are lb. the or regratification
proved study
be atable
obese mellitus
1) tempting
to ment. 2)
Ninety
some
percent to reduce
degree
obesity
benefit
were
of
receive
treat-
About
60-70% weight of
were
able
to reach
their obesity. While this is true with all forms of successful weight reduction, the improvement is more marked with HCG.
desired
3)
normal A majority
SUMMARY
After proach
of
little or no success, I believe a new method that works has been made available to us. It works with about 60-70% of obese patients vided as the of both sexes aged 15 and up, prothe method is followed meticulously author has developed it. say for a great that certain how or deal of research this report of with will
they were able to keep their weight for longer periods than previously did not mind returning for further
Some that they even went as far as con-
treatment.
keep that
their they
did not try very hard to down because they knew return universal and repeat finding their in loss nearly
I hope
of weight. 5) An
my own clinical findings together some possible tentative explanations act as a stimulus for this research. While excessive nothing further mechanisms and output failure of it
all of the patients is the euphoria that patients experience. This occurs in spite of the marked low intake of food. I have worked with many obese patients on diets twice the 500 kcal used were We here happy do not and do not recall many who situation of dieting. about their yet have an
is true that obesity is due to calorie intake, this tells us of the basic causes. What needs explanation that as these and regulate well as the regulating discovery calorie are the the in intake
exact explanation for the euphoria and the high rate of patient acceptance so often encountered with our method, but I cannot believe that it is due to a placebo effect or a psychological reaction between patient and physician. It is far too regular.
In
some individuals that results in obesity. Recently, Dr. Margaret Aibrink (34) has made a very interesting observation that while man has elaborate and efficient mechanisms for surviving starvation, his techniques for handling a surplus of food-a societies
easily
1964
Simeons
published
closely match
a series
my
in
of 500 cases
own (33). His age of 41
with 122
lost
and
378
of
females
nearly 17
with
lb.
average 20 days.
average
the
694 atherosclerosis burdening fuel, i.e., is intriguing planation that leads Further tion may be a result of
Gusman overdiet the delays the onset of development in rodents of all (and
the mechanisms for storage of overstuffing the adipose cell. It to speculate on a parallel exfor the metabolic abnormality to obesity. weight to this possible explanato bear by the fact that the to It been found fat cell. least cell
degenerative
diseases
presumably in man) and obesity speeds their development. Medicine must neither accept nor abandon Dr. Simeons method until it has been properly tested through research or until a completely discovered. different and Dr. Simeons a better himself method is has begun
is brought
adipose cell in the obese has be larger than the normal follows, therefore, of fat cells exist, reserve health becomes fat tissue This that at the normal
two types storing the for good cell that the also excess lends
such testing and research in his clinic. He has often told me in person and has more than once said publicly that critics and researchers in this field are welcome at Clinic to study his results and observations. Let us hope some of them will accept offer soon. his his
fuel that is necessary and the abnormally large overstuffed of the approach obese. to obesity and forms
further credence to the belief that the manner in which food is utilized and stored in the body is a more complicated mechanism than previously believed and that there is a controlling center in the brain. Medicine must not neglect nor abandon the problem of obesity for many reasons, not the least of which is its relationship to cancer and the process of aging. A. Tanenbaum and H. Silverstone (35) suggest that nutrition plays a role in the formation of cancer in man. When living cells are subjected to carcinogenic influences finally energy of the cipally increases trients they result and may undergo in growing substance for changes neoplasm. the development
4. 5.
A clinician the
sents
must
of
contribute
material
to science
as chance
from
preana-
great at
wealth
must nor
weigh, control
observe Often,
and
he
lyze
opportunity.
can yet
neither
his experiments,
critical evaluation of his successes as well as his failures can add immeasurably to the sum total of our knowledge and clinical judgment (T. Messerman, personal commuiiication). REFERENCES 1.
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