C.C. is 54 yr old man who came to me lamenting his doctor wanted to put him on insulin.  He was already on two prescriptions for his diabetes, two more for blood pressure as well as a cholesterol medication. "Now he wants me to start taking shots.  I just don't think I can live this way. Can you help?"

After a history, physical examination and blood tests, it appeared, indeed, that this gentleman would require insulin to control his very elevated glucose levels.  The blood sugar was averaging over 250 throughout the previous three months and in the office that day, he was over 300. His triglyceride level was greater than 1000, putting him at risk for spontaneous pancreatitis. His blood pressure was controlled but in the high zone.

During my medical training thirty years ago, we would have considered putting this patient in the hospital for a modified fast in order to rapidly reduce the excess sugar and fats in his blood.  Those were during the days when medical insurance would allow for prolonged hospital stays.

Later in my medical career, the standard of care became outpatient with a protein-sparing diet consisting of premixed shakes and bars. This program was developed for diabetics at one of our top medical universities.  With this program we were often successful in rapidly reducing the diabetes parameters.

However, in both scenarios, patients were not usually successful in keeping the weight off.  (Remember Oprah and her tremendous weight loss in the early 1990's.) Why do diets fail?

I believe the answer is that diets will fail unless you burn the right kind of fat. Normally when we restrict calories, the body burns the normal fat reserves as fuel.  This results in weight loss. But the important thing is, the weight loss is of the normal fat reserves.  The abnormal, unhealhty fat which is stored around the abdomen is not accessible as fuel.  It remains after the diet. Thus, when the calorie restriction is over, the body senses the loss of its "healthy reserve" and struggles to regain it. This is the job of the hypothalamus.  This area of the brain regulates our hunger and thirst and regulates fat reserves.  Its job, derived over millions of years of evolution, is to protect us from the next famine to insure survival.

Fortunately, we now have the means to target the abnormal fat to be burned. With the addition of a natural brain hormone called HCG, the  body is directed to burn the abnormal fat and spare the healthy fat reserves.  The result is a weight loss principally of the belly fat. The metabolic imbalance is corrected and sustainable weight loss is achieved. After the 60 day HCG Program, my patient C.C. lost 42 pounds.  His fasting blood glucoses fell to below 120.  His blood pressure dropped to normal and his triglyceride level and cholesterol plummetted toward the healthy range.  He was able to discontinue most of his medications.Since implementing the HCG Program in my office, we have had over 60 patients succeed in losing and maintaining weight loss.  The typical results are 15 to 20 pounds for women and 30 to 35 pounds for men. But the most exciting aspect is in achieving better health in metabolic syndrome, diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol.  Remember, it is the type of fat you burn which determines the success of the diet.