Is hCG a true weight-loss solution?

SALT LAKE CITY — For some people, losing weight can be a lifelong struggle involving dieting, self-esteem issues or depression, as well as a variety of health concerns.

Marla Anderson, 34, of Eagle Mountain, is one of the thousands of Utahns waging that battle.

In January 2009, Anderson found herself at a personal crossroads. Relatively young but more than 100 pounds overweight, she realized she had to do something dramatic to regain control of her physical well-being.

After trying one diet plan and losing just three pounds, she talked to her doctor, who, to her surprise, had no suggestions for her.

"He just said there is nothing he could do for me," Anderson said. "I walked away crying … and frustrated."

Today, the choices available to people looking to shed pounds is almost endless, from surgery, to exercise boot camps, not to mention a plethora of diet plans.

Among the more popular and controversial weight-loss plans is the hCG or human chorionic gonadotropin protocol. Though some people describe it as a legitimate weight-loss program, others are not convinced.

The use of hCG in the treatment of obesity was first discovered by late British physician Dr. A.T.W. Simeons, who first published a report on the topic in 1954 while practicing in Rome.

In nature, hCG is a glycoprotein hormone produced in pregnancy that is made by the developing embryo after conception and later by the syncytiotrophoblast (part of the placenta).

During his research on obesity, Simeons developed a method or protocol of treatment that included using the hCG hormone along with a detailed set of instructions over a specified amount of time.

His protocol requires almost daily injections of the hCG hormone under the supervision of a doctor, along with consuming just 500 calories of food per day over 23 or 26 days, depending upon the weight-loss goals of the participant.

Anderson heard about the hCG diet plan from a neighbor and also has an aunt who had tried it.

"My first thought was that anybody who only ate 500 calories a day would lose weight," she said. "I really fought (doing the protocol) because I thought it was a fad diet, basically."

After attempting more traditional weight-loss methods, Anderson decided to try the hCG plan and achieved a fair amount of success.