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Reducing:
Perilous
play
By JENNIFER THOMPSON and ELLIOT PETERS
SAN FRZANCISCO (PNS) - The ads beckon
seductively from the pages of major magazines
and metropolitan newspapers:
"Remember How They Looked At You, 25
Pounds Ago?"
"My Husband Treats Me Like A Girl Friend
Now."
'Lose 10-20-30 pounds or more; no contracts;
no exercising; optional food program."
BY TE HUNDREDS of thousands, overweight
Americans have lined up at Simeons method weight-
loss clinics across the nation, shelling out up to
$400 for a magic and almost instant cure for fat.
But while the loss of dollars is permanent, the
loss of weight usually isn't. And according to the
best medical and government evidence, the loss
of both may be accompanied by a serious loss
of health.
In California, where the "skinny ethos" has
made fat clinics a multi-million dollar a year
business, the popular Simeons method is under
attack from groups including the American and
'alifornia Medical Associations, the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC), the State Bureau of Medical
Quality Insurance and branches of the Better
Business Bureau. Such a "yo-yo" effect of weight loss and gain,
AND IN MICHIGAN, physicians are warned according to Noble and Globau, can strain the
by the State Medical Practices Board that they heart.
may lose their licenses if they associate with DEVISED IN 1949 by Dr. A.T.W. Simeons and
the clinics, publicized by him in the 1950's and 60's, the Simeons
According to its critics, the Simeons method HCG-shot method of weight control was originally
is unsafe and ineffective in treating obesity, lacks designed with strict monitoring of patients' daily
in proper nutrition and is unaccompanied by proper weight change and health.
medical supervision. In his book "Pounds and Inches," Simeons wrote:
The Simeons plan combines a 500-calorie daily "The method is not simple. It is very time con-
diet with almost daily injections of a drug called suming and requires perfect cooperation between
human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) - which the the physician and patient. Each case must be
clinics say will help the patient lose weight. HCG . handled individually ... and the physician ... must
is found in human urine and has been approved check the patient daily."
by the Food and Drug Administration for some However, most clinics do not reprint Simeons'
medical purposes - but not for weight control, statement in their advertising brochures, since few
for which it is considered ineffective. It has not, are qualified to provide such care. One chain of
however, been banned for that purpose. 19 clinics, spanning the California coast from Mon-
WHEN A REPORTER recently visited a Simeons terey to Santa Rosa, employs only two doctors to
method clinic in San Francisco he was told there supervise thousands of patients.
was only one doctor to supervise a chain of 28 THIS ASSEMBLY-LINE approach by the Simeons
clinics. The nurse then assured him he could be- method clinics is the result of mass advertising and
gin the HCG injection program that day, provided the potential for enormous profits. Operating with
his blood pressure was normal and he paid his low overhead - a small office, a doctor who
money-without seeing a doctor, makes occasional visits and some female employes
The dangers of this lack of supervision stem who may or may not be trained nurses - some
from two possible hazards - the HCG itself, and chains are believed to gross more than $5 mil-
effects of a 500-calorie diet. lion a year.
According to drug manufacturers, HCG has been One chain advertised for doctors by claiming
known to produce headache, instability, restlessness, they could earn $50,000 to $100,000 a year for one
depression, tiredness, pain at the injection site, early afternoon or evening of their time a week.
puberty in children and enlargement of the male In spite of the success the HCG clinics have
breast. enjoyed so far, their days may be numbered-at
ACCORDING TO San Francisco dermatologist least in California. Two suits have been filed on
Dr. Rick Globau, a 500-calorie diet can produce behalf of the State Bureau of Medical Quality In-
vitamin deficiencies, faintness, hair loss, menstrual surance against Simeons method clinics, charging
irregularities, gout, gallstones and even diabetic them with practicing medicine without a license.
comas. One quickly suspended its operations, then soon
While many patients do lose weight on the diet reopened under another name.
and shot regimen, such rapid weight loss is often
mostly a loss of fluids that are quickly gained Jennifer Thompson is on the staff of San Fran-
back, says Dr. Rudolph E. Noble of San Francisco's risco magazine and Elliot Peters is a freelance based
Cathedral Hill Medical Center Obesity Clinic. in the Bay Area.
The Michigan Daily
Edited and managed by Students at the
University of Michigan
Tuesday, June 22, 1976
News Phone: 764-0552
Affirmativeaco stall
rjjHE WORDS "AFFIRMATIVE ACTION" ring a bell in
many an ear around the University because they
represent an issue that never seems to fade from public
focus - for the wrong reason. The attention given af-
firmative action has not, unfortunately, resulted from
consistent praise of a progressive program. Rather, the
issue is being constantly reexamined in reaction to con-
troversy over the question of whether the University has
done its part to advance fair hiring practices.
But when will the University do something tangible
to put the issue to rest?
Members of the Graduate Employes Organization
(GEO) have scrutinized the University's performance on
affirmative action and they don't like what they've
found. There is evidence of preparation, but no impres-
sive action has been taken. The union's dissatisfaction
has been vehemently aired in contract negotiations of
late in which GEO has insisted that an affirmative action
clause be made legally binding as part of a new agree-
ment.
GEO's demand grows out of its charge that the Uni-
versity has delayed fulfillment of its "Memorandum of
Understanding"-_ a non-binding agreement added to
last year's contract in which the University promised to
make a "good faith effort" to design and put into effect
Mailbag: On clericals, VD
clinics and bike snatchers
c'lericails
To The Daily-
Ifow refreshing it was to
read Susan Susselman's letter
in the Daily of June 16. Instead
of Carolyn Weeks' obscenities
("dogshit", in an interview?), a
reasoned appeal to those of
the clericals who are educated
and revere human dignity.
It is indeed unfortunate that
the Daily took at face value
whatever CDU told it, without
bothering to research anything.
It would not have been too dif-
ficult to learn the origins of
CDU. And a talk with anyone
outside CDU who was at the
early meetings of the union
would have described the ap-
palling chaos CDU brought
about: screaming, chanting,
stamping their feet, hurling
obscenities. It was later that
the bilious yellow flyers began
appearing, with their lies and
insults about the people who
had worked hard (since before
most of CDU was even hired)
to create a much-needed union
for the underpaid and under-
anpreciated University cleric-
als.
matter how good you were).
The University has never re-
spected its clericals (it's a good
place to work while their hus-
bands are in school," the ear-
ly organizers were told. Has
the University any idea how
many of its clericals are sup-
porting families and intend to
stay on the job?) and knows
how easily replaced they are.
The Daily, of course, is not
to blame for the disintegration
of the union. It contributed,
however innocently, but the
real cause was the obstruction-
ism and all too successful pro-
paganda of CDU. Soon, thanks
to them, we may have no un-
ion at all.
Isabel Reade
June 18
TIS IS lT'E great tr-ged' of
the dissevsion within the in-
ion instead of focusing on the,
retl needs of the clericals it
w's formed to hel, most of its
eergy goes into swrfare be-
a.. . iI- f tn (U~it :a
To The Daily:
Last night, my roommate's
bicycle was stolen from a
friend's house. She was Wear-
ing a chain lock aroutsd her
waist but did not feel it was
necessary to lock the bike up,
as she only intended to stay a
few minutes. Five minutes
later, she walked out of the
house. The bicycle was gone.
I realize that having one's bi-
cycle stolen is not an extraor-
dinary phenomenon in Ann Ar-
bor. It happens everyday, along
with stolen cars, occasional
r-nes, and vandolized hiouses
and atartments. A few weeks
'gs, I mentioned to an ac-
oinintance th-t I wnted tob biv
so4ne h-nisi'g "lants to p'it
ssnie t {',-"ti'tastv. Y'i'i
1T -tier 'i iih'-Or "to." Ts this
wr ' tha qi " ;rrtTn n ^i to?
I wcistnder wvhat goes throgh
the Oind of a bike thief. Per-
hips, the worn-w't cliche, "so-
ciety owes e . ., sir mybe
somethins to ds wilh onetnrv
concerns, or possible the sotitch
is just the reSult of an imspulse
to ride a "free" bicycle on a
hot summer evening.
Whatever the rationalizatisnt
for bike-stealing, permit me 'i
quote the sober 'words of is
roommate, "May the geirs
Oil youl.
Suzanne Sahakian
June 15
To The Daily:
Again it appears that 1h e i
versity has successfully av iedtet
providing services to the citi-
zens of the community. I jn
finished reading, "County nines
VD plan" (Michigan Dait
June 18 1976) and am expett
encing that all-too-frequenst tie)
sitg of ambivalence.
I was delighted to read ths
the Washtenaw County oard
of Commissioners stood fast in
its decision not to grant a con-
tract t', the University ITesh
5 'rtice.
TOO FREQUENTLY shen
sich clauses have appeared in
contracts they seem to be little
more than items to be used for
negotiation - negotiatiin out of
the contract so that other sut)-
nosedly more prized needs can
be negotiated in. Although dv
Fghted by this action I ts
simosslt-ne'usly singered, stid
sened and upset. This coun o
is desnerotelv in need of anoth-
er VIA facility and the Us
versity lelt", Service seemed
to b the ide°1 choice for i-1
s,-h a facility.
In a county where venervI
disase is at epidemic prtoitt
tisissthere exists >nly ne tf-
cit ,ti that is setis, ts dent en-
j,"jirely wyith VD. One wuonld
' i-k tht soch a resti-iss's"
-'- ' it "w''Itt be excited to
r ins Yt.s."ns to help citim-
It t'e rl diseose.
Tom Morson
Member of Ann Arbor's
crsv community
June 18
an affirmative action program for hiring graduate stu- its none it s tried no ef-
dent assistants by September, 1975. So far, the GEO says, fe(t a tr"-e and "'ite the eter-
the University has failed to keep its promise. icals- CtU w"Noud not even
The administration says it has, in fact, acted in good 0oet with them.)
faith, but that such a program is difficult and time- The clericals do need a sn-
conmsuning to carry out. University negotiators insist that isn; they arore pid farbelowrkthe
it is not their policy to include an affirmative action esandrde Itrcolperabtneork
ctatse i a lbor esuoracteeihere ;sehere tse sainted
clause i a labor confringe benefits als apply),
GEO is not asking the University to do anything there ire rsstrictive wige ceil-
more than commit itself legally to an agreement it has ings f-r es4b categorv, the sild
already made in spirit. What is the administration afraid tremyofnMeritincreases voor
of? It is time for affirmative action to be turned from a department had a meutia ger bd-
mere lofty ideal to an equitable reality, get you were out of luck no