Ask Dr. H: HCG-shot crash diet a real loser

Question:

What do you think of the new HCG diet? I've struggled with my weight for many years and am wondering if it might help.

Answer: The HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) diet is actually a very old diet, dating to research by Dr. Simeons in the 1950s. It's essentially a starvation diet (500 calories per day!) with daily injections of HCG in four-week cycles to offset hunger pangs.

Proponents contend that you'll lose one to three pounds per day, which translates to a whopping caloric deficit of 3,500 to 10,500 calories per day. Since 1975, the FDA has required all marketing of HCG to state that it has not been demonstrated to be an effective adjunctive agent in the treatment of obesity.

There is no evidence that it increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, no evidence that it causes a more "attractive" distribution of fat, and no evidence that it decreases the hunger and discomfort from calorie-restricted dieting (compared with placebo).

This is a short-term crash diet. Dieting is like running a marathon, not a sprint. For those who are morbidly obese and have tried every reasonable diet without success, perhaps an evaluation by a bariatric surgeon may provide the best long-term solution.

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Q:

My wife recently noticed a yellowish growth of tissue on my eye. It doesn't bother me. My doctor called it a pinguecula and said it was nothing to worry about. Can you explain what causes it?

A: You're describing the eye equivalent of a hand or foot callus. A pinguecula (pronounced pin-GWEK-u-lah) is a thickening of conjunctival tissue, that pinkish membrane you can find by pulling down on your lower eyelid. The conjunctival tissue forms a thin membrane over the sclera, the white part of the eye. When the whites of your eyes get irritated, it's the conjunctival tissue that's irritated. Drops like Visine shrink the red, swollen blood vessels of an irritated conjunctiva. Besides dry eyes, allergies and infection can also cause inflammation of this conjunctival tissue - better known as conjunctivitis or "pink eye."

If it's not bothering you, it can be left alone. It's actually common especially among folks who live in warmer climates or who spend a lot of time in the sun because of their work or play.

UV radiation from the sun seems to trigger the growth of a pinguecula. So do irritations such as dust, wind, and chronically dry eyes. While this "eye callus" may seem desirable, if it grows across your field of vision or if the thickening of tissue becomes uncomfortable, you'll want an ophthalmologist to remove it.

If it's causing a gritty sensation and recurrent irritation, you might first try lubricating eyedrops. Sunglasses that filter UV rays will help to slow the growth, and will help prevent those with no pinguecula from developing one.