" -,: . :. ..:; ::.. ,.:::: - .. .. :. ,.:,. ...;,:": i/. ;:.i J.. ....^. . . y . :.. Y Y. :"~."'F. : .. ,' ; ! {y j "'4:ti Njs .f ..... ,yam .. n.' J: J!:iCLi!: 1. t.. - -,... .,. .,.i.r .i. : .' :. .,,:.: - .. >' G; oa .fr J. . :,. ..t - '? " . 'q.. "irY .r ..c.: y ,r,;... .;',: .. r- .f '.:: .: Li: r:.: . ..: : r.: ,, :, is ,.. .... r.... 'ti. ...... .. .... ... .,. ld[ ...4 $: ..-... .5i :...... .. -:....... .... ..... ..... w. S" '.A04'i 'V { :'C"....... .:+ru'JC". ."'}: :v.".' .' .. ..iv'+v..4..:+ /i':Ciw'i54:6:5":4;2 :? \v. G,::! .....< : :: i. .i}h ,} :h Yfih 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