Starvation 'diet' on sale at my chemists....can this be right?

[Mosaic]

Just curious.....I saw in passing a regime called Lipotrim which my local chemists is selling. It made unbelievable claims so I had a look around on the internet. Seems this is about the same product as the older 'Cambridge Diet'. You basically stop eating, drink only water or certain caffeine-free drinks, and have three or so powdered 'milkshakes' (they aren't real milkshakes) every day. Unsurprisingly you shrink in body mass. Quickly. With side effects.

I'd be fascinated to hear whether anyone has tried these - have they had long-term success with them in losing weight permanently - and is it ethical for a pharmacist to be selling them?
I concluded it was a lot of money to lay down for some short-term torture and possible hair-loss, and that it would be cheaper to shut myself in the coal-cellar for a week with some bottled water....

[bednobs]

soulds a bit like slimfast. Personally i don't think it's "unethical" to sell them, but it's up to stupid people who want to buy them

[pastafreak]

That is absolute madness....and I bet the body goes into starvation mode also. Lord knows what's in the 'milkshakes'...some sort of chemical cocktail most likely.
Yeh-they may lose...it will all be back on as soon as they go back to real food.
It's really a scam....and shouldn't be on pharmacists shelves.

[Mosaic]

Interesting responses - it just struck me as being at odds with 'don't smoke', 'eat five portions', 'count your alcohol units'.........'starve yourself till your hair drops out' .......

[cazzz1975]

reminds me of lighterlife and slimfast, very drastic weight loss diets. you have to remember society may frown on smoking and drinking to excess, but being overweight is considered as bad as being a murderer so safety goes out of the window ;)

[ChocolatChip]

Mosaic, your idea of locking yourself in the coal cellar with just bottled water does sound more appealing than those shakes!
Not only would you lose weight short term (to put it back on again later) you would feel sick, tired, confused, irritable. Would lose the hair on your head and grow it everywhere else, possibly lose your periods (if you're female)
Long term effects would be infertility, osteoarthritis, premature death.
All sorts.

[starone]

It's no good - I am addicted to eating. The more you talk about dieting the hungrier I become.

[ChocolatChip]

I'm only going on what I know and what I've seen.
I'm extremely interested in nutrition, and these kinds of things and behaviour towards accepting these types of dieting methods.

[starone]

My daughter did the lighterlife diet. It was horrendous, but she did lose about 4 stone. They would know if she had only eaten an apple over and above the very expensive "food" they allowed and had her in tears with shame. I would not advocate it, but I suppose if you are desperate you will do it. She has put some of the weight back on and finds it very difficult to keep the rest off. To be fair to lighterlife they have a minimum amount which you have to lose and you have to see your doctor and get a clean bill of health before they will take you on. For instance I cannot become a member because I am only 2 stone overweight.

[bushbaby_de]

I tried it an got absolutely chronic 'runs'... I really don't recommend it!

[karenmac60]

My mum did the Cambridge Diet years ago. I don't remember her losing much weight on it, but I do remember hiding out in my bedroom for weeks because she was so bad tempered with it!!!

[Mosaic]

Fascinating responses. I agree with the points about overweight becoming as big a stigma here as it is in the US, and as a society that has become proud of being gullible and aping 'celebrity' we need to look inwards for the answers to this. It also fits in with young girls seeking cosmetic surgery and women having their lady-bits carved up in the name of some fictitious ideal of 'beauty'.
Much as the Middle East has started to fre itself of dictatorships, maybe we should free ourselves of consumerist dictatorship and in a mass movement refuse to buy or watch the media products that aim to make us hate ourselves.
Comrades --- to the barricades!!

[starone]

A leader! At last! Almost like the second coming of the Messiah. Count me in Mosaic. I am good at following.

[cazzz1975]

as a society we have to become much less judgemental about the superficial

however with people tuning in to see the freak shows on the jeremy kyle show and shows like "my embarrassing body" I cannot see our society caring about whether the "freaks " have feelings.

[Mosaic]

cazz, if everyone just chose not to watch, they'd soon replace them with decent DIY programs.Oh Barry Bucknall, where art thou in our hour of need?

[cazzz1975]

I dont watch them, but I am in the minority! ;)

[c1]

I have done the Cambridge diet and it is ok for a short-term kick start in weight loss. I did not experience hair loss, fainting or any major side affects apart from constipation, which subsides eventually. These liquid diets are not recommended long term but they do work. Once you have finished it is all about maintenance and eating the right foods. These products are everywhere now - even the biggest loser (programme on ITV) have there own shakes. People will always want to lose weight so manufacturers will always make money. Sad truth!