WOMEN -- SOME OF
WHOM ARE LOSING 20-
TO-25 POUNDS IN A
MONTH.
BUT -- THE H-C-G DIET
IS NOT APPROVED BY
THE FOOD AND DRUG
ADMINISTRATION.
SO.. THAT'S WHY SOME
ARE WONDERING.. IF
IT'S SAFE. AND.. CAN
THE PARTICIPANTS
KEEP THE WEIGHT OFF?
SCOTT SWAN HAS THE
ANSWERS.
I BECAME INTERESTED
IN THIS DIET.. AFTER
MEMBERS OF MY
FAMILY TRIED IT.
THEY LOST BETWEEN
15-AND-21 POUNDS.. IN
THE FIRST MONTH.. AND
THEY'VE KEPT THE
WEIGHT OFF.
TONIGHT.. WHO COULD
BENEFIT.. AND WHO
NEEDS TO STAY AWAY..
FROM THIS DIET.
:20-:28
:33-:43
:44-1:00
1:01 -1:26
1:27-1:35
NATS OF PAM PLAYING
PIANO
AS A CLASSICAL PIANO
INSTRUCTOR.. THIS IS
PAM FRANK'S HAPPY
SPOT.
NATS OF MUSIC"
LIFE IS GOOD.. FOR THIS
HENRY COUNTY
WOMAN.
SHE'S CHANGED.
QUITE LITERALLY.
FOR YEARS.. PAM
STRUGGLED WITH HER
WEIGHT.
WAS IN THE 190'S."
PAM FRANK/DIET PATIENT: "I
WAS DONE BEING
OVERWEIGHT."
PAM FRANK/DIET PATIENT: "I
TRIED WEIGHT WATCHERS.
I TRIED CUTTING BACK
CARBS AND TRIED
EXERCISE. TRIED KITO. IT
JUST SEEMED LIKE
NOTHING WOULD REALLY
WORK. I FELT LIKE MY
METABOLISM WAS STUCK."
PAM'S NOT ALONE.
TAYLOR JOHNSON/NURSE
PRACTIONER: "THE
NUMBER ONE COMPLAINT
IS I CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT.
HOW CAN I LOSE WEIGHT?
I'M DOING ALL THESE
THINGS TO LOSE WEIGHT.
I'M ON THE RIGHT CALORIE
RESTRICTION. I'M
EXERCISING. WHY CAN'T I
GET THIS WEIGHT OFF?"
TAYLOR JOHNSON'S
PRACTICE..
SPECIALIZES IN
MENOPAUSE THERAPY..
AND ALSO OFFERS THE
"H-C-G DIET".
TAYLOR JOHNSON/NURSE
PRACTIONER: "H-C-G IS A
HORMONE THAT WE
PRODUCE WHEN WE'RE
PREGNANT. IT RELEASES
THE FAT STORES TO THE
FETUS."
FOR WOMEN.. LIKE
PAM.. "STORED FAT"..
ENDS UP IN A VARIETY
OF PLACES.. ON YOUR
BODY.. THAT ARE HARD
TO GET RID OF.
TAYLOR JOHNSON/NURSE
PRACTIONER: "MOST
WOMEN, ESPECIALLY OUR
MENAPAUSAL WOMEN
COMPLAIN OF BELLY FAT.
SO, THEIR MID-SECTION,
THEY'RE EXPERIENCING A
LOT OF FLUID RETENTION
AND WEIGHT IN THAT
AREA."
THOSE ON THE DIET..
TAKE DROPS OF "H-C-
G".. EVERY DAY.
AND.. THEY'RE LIMITED
TO A 500-CALORIE DIET.
MOST PARTICIPANTS
DON'T EAT OUT.
THEY'RE CAREFULLY
WEIGHING FOOD.. AND
COOKING MEALS AT
HOME.
TAYLOR JOHNSON/NURSE
PRACTIONER: "IT KIND OF
RESETS THEIR
METABOLISM. WHAT WE'RE
GOING DOWN TO IS
FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND
PROTEIN. SO, WE'RE
TAKING OUT SUGARS,
COMPLEX CARBS,
ALCOHOL. GETTING IT TO
THE MOST BASIC THINGS
YOUR BODY IS EASILY ABLE
TO DIGEST."
PAM HAS WEEKLY
APPOINTMENTS.
NURSES TAKE
MEASUREMENTS.
MONITOR HER BLOOD
PRESSURE.
NATS AS PAM STANDS ON
SCALE TO GET WEIGHED IN
AND.. CHECK HER
WEIGHT.
PAM FRANK/DIET PATIENT:
"IF YOU FOLLOW THE
PROTOCOL, YOU WILL
LOSE THE WEIGHT."
PAM DID!
HERE'S WHAT PAM
LOOKED LIKE.. IN MAY.
IN ONE MONTH.. SHE
LOST 21 POUNDS.
PAM STAYED ON THE
DIET FOUR MONTHS..
AND THE POUNDS..
KEPT COMING OFF.
PAM FRANK/DIET PATIENT:
"AT MY HEAVIEST, I WAS
195. AND NOW, I'M 154."
MORE THAN ANYTHING
ELSE.. PAM FEELS
=HEALTHIER=.. THAN
EVER BEFORE.
PAM FRANK/DIET PATIENT: "I
HAVE SO MUCH ENERGY. I
THOUGHT BEING ON THIS
RESTRICTIVE CALORIES,
THAT I WOULD BE TIRED. I'M
NOT. I GET UP AT 5:30. I GO
UNTIL 9 OR 10 O'CLOCK AT
NIGHT."
PAM FRANK/DIET PATIENT:
"MY CHOLESTEROL, MY
DOCTOR SAYS, IS ALMOST
PERFECT. I'M NO LONGER
CLOSE TO BEING
DIABETIC."
BUT.. THE "H-C-G DIET"..
IS NOT FDA-APPROVED.
THE MAYO CLINIC
REPORTS "SIDE
EFFECTS" LIKE
FATIGUE..
IRRITABILITY..
RESTLESSNESS..
DEPRESSION.. AND A
RISK OF BLOOD CLOTS.
PAM DIDN'T
EXPERIENCE ANY OF
THOSE PROBLEMS.
THE "H-C-G DIET"
WORKED FOR HER.
PAM FRANK/DIET PATIENT: "I
HAD TO GO AND BUY A NEW
TOP BECAUSE I DIDN'T
HAVE ANYTHING THAT FIT.
SO, I'VE GONE FROM EXTRA
LARGES TO MEDIUMS. MY
CLOSET IS ALMOST
EMPTY."
THESE DAYS.. MUSIC
ISN'T THE ONLY THING
BRINGING HAPPINESS..
INTO HER LIFE.
PAM LOVES HOW SHE
FEELS.
AND.. SHE'LL KEEP
PICTURES FROM THOSE
"HEAVIER" DAYS.. AS
MOTIVATION.. TO KEEP
THE WEIGHT OFF.
PAM FRANK/DIET PATIENT:
"BEING OVERWEIGHT FOR
SO MANY YEARS, I DON'T
WANT TO GO BACK. I DON'T
WANT TO. WHATEVER IT
TAKES. I'LL KEEP IT OFF. "
SO SCOTT ... WHO
SHOULD STAY AWAY
FROM THIS DIET?
WOMEN WHO ARE
PREGNANT.. AND
NURSING MOMS CAN'T
DO IT.
IF YOU'RE SEVERELY
DIABETIC.. THIS IS NOT
A DIET FOR YOU.
SOME MEN.. HAVE
TRIED IT.. AND IT
WORKS FOR THEM.
IT'S EXPENSIVE
THOUGH.
650-DOLLARS.. FOR THE
28 DAY PROGRAM.
AS ADVERTISED
TUESDAY WAS WET AND
STORMY. A SWATH OF