Does Garcinia Cambogia Really Make You Lose Weight?

1. Does GarciniaCambogia Really Make You Lose Weight? An Analysis of Dr. Oz’s Miracle Fat-Busting Claim Lisa Miller

2. Small, pumpkin-shaped fruit, native to Indonesia. Also grown across Asia and Africa • Used in other cultures in an effort to make food more filling • The natural extract of this plant is hydroxycitric acid (HCA) • Supposedly helps to block fat and suppress appetite. • Increases serotonin levels. • “…HCA improves mood and suppresses the drive to react to stressful situations with food. As you eat less, your body senses this and it releases stored fat in your fat cells” (GarciniaCambogia (HCA): Is This Right for You?, 2012). What is GarciniaCambogia?

3. On average one can lose about 4lbs. per month without changing diet/exercise routing • Increases weight loss by 2-3 times that of what they’d have with diet and exercise alone • Normally would lose about 4lbs. in a month • Inhibits production of fat in the body “when you aren’t making fat, you’re burning it” • Can lose fat without losing muscle • Good for emotional eaters • Suppresses appetite The ClaimNo Exercise, No Diet, No Effort!

4. We must evaluate: • Dr. Oz’s Credibility • Is Dr. Oz’s logic valid and sound? • Did Dr. Oz utilize appropriate scientific observation? • Are there other alternative explanations that would promote weight loss in participants? Evaluation of the ClaimThe Critical Thinker’s Toolkit

5. Starred on Oprah for 5 years • Hosts own television show-Emmy awards • Over 400 publications • 7 New York Times Best Selling books • Time Magazines “Most Influential People” • Vice-Chair and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University.  • Directs the Cardiovascular Institute and Complementary Medicine Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital • Skilled cardiac surgeon-over 100 heart surgeries Dr. Oz’s Credibility

6. Not a nutritionist! • Best selling books are not in his area of expertise • Media Awards say nothing of one’s medical knowledge • Buzz Words • “amazing”; “brand new research”; “revolutionary fat-buster”; and “most exciting breakthrough in natural weight loss to date” • Mask research inconsistencies/lack of support • May be promoting medical solutions that do not work! Red Flags

7. Serotonin and cortisol make you lose weight • They deal with mood, stress, and hunger • Less stressed/emotional=less hungry • *Logic is valid. Research has supported this. • You can lose significant amounts of weight without changing diet or exercise regimen • Ex. big mac diet • *Logic not valid. Can’t be incredibly unhealthy and expect to lose weight Is Logic Valid and Sound?

8. Dr. Oz never conducted his own experiment • Brought a doctor on the show to confirm his claim • Dr. Oz hides behind his sales pitch • “miracle weight loss”’; “revolutionary fat-buster” Proper Scientific Evaluation?

9. Does not produce any significant weight loss in participants (Kim et al., 2011). • In a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, researchers also concluded that “body weight and fat mass change during the 12-week study period did not differ significantly between placebo and treatment groups” (Heymsfield, 1998). • In one study the participants who were treated with a placebo lost more weight than those who actually received GarciniaCambogia extract. Other Research Says…

10. Studies that support GarciniaCambogia claim also: • Used other substances along with GarciniaCambogia during the study • Make participants have low-fat diet during study • There is no way to tell if • GarciniaCambogia or these • confounding variables • are the source of weight • loss in participants Issues with Studies

11. Legitimate research does not support the claim that GarciniaCambogia produces significant weight loss, especially without changing one’s diet or exercise regimen Dr. Oz’s claims are based on pseudoscientific observation and not on actual positive results Conclusion

12. References