文登考研英语钻石卡VIP外报阅读.docx

文登考研英语钻石卡VIP外报阅读.docx

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文登考研英语钻石卡VIP外报阅读

文登考研英语钻石卡（VIP）外报阅读第15期

Passage1:

HCGDietDangers:

IsFastWeightLossWorththeRisk?

It'sdubious.There'snogoodevidenceitworks.ButhCGdietersinsistthey'redroppingpounds,fast

ByAngelaHaupt

Posted:

March14,2011

Thousandsofpeoplearelatchingontoadietthatpromisesrapidweightloss—upto30poundsamonth—and,judgingbyitsrecentsurgeinpopularity,actuallydelivers.Buttheso-calledhCGdietiseitheraweight-lossmiracleoradangerousfraud,dependingonwho'stalking.TheplancombinesdropsorinjectionsofhCG,apregnancyhormone,withjust500caloriesaday.Whilesomebelieversaresoconvincedofitspowerthey'llwillinglystickthemselveswithasyringe,thegovernmentandmainstreammedicalcommunitysayit'sascamthatcarriestoomanyhealthrisksanddoesn'tleadtolong-termweightloss.

"It'sreckless,irresponsible,andcompletelyirrational,"saysPieterCohen,anassistantprofessorofmedicineatHarvardMedicalSchool."Canyouloseweightonit?

Ofcourse,butthat'smainlybecauseyou'rehardlyconsuminganycalories.Andanybenefitisnotgoingtolast."

HCGisapprovedbytheU.S.FoodandDrugAdministrationtotreatinfertilityinbothmenandwomen.Butitsweight-lossrootstracebacktothe1950s,whenBritishendocrinologistA.T.W.Simeonsrealizedthatgivingobesepatientssmall,regulardosesofthehormonehelpedthemlosestubbornclumpsoffat.Itonlyworked,however,whencoupledwithanear-starvationdiet.SimeonsbegantoutinghCGasapotentappetitesuppressantthatwouldmakeanythingmorethan500dailycaloriesunbearable.Andheclaimedthehormonecouldblastfatinkeytroublespotsliketheupperarms,stomach,thighs,andbuttocks,whilepreservingmuscle.Saveforafewtweaks,themodern-dayincarnationislargelyasSimeonspresentedit:

Dieterssupplementanextremelylow-caloriemealplanwithdailyinjectionsprescribedoff-labelbymedicalprofessionals,ortakediluted,homeopathichCG—typicallyindropform—soldonline,indrugstores,andatnutritionalsupplementstores.

ExactlywhythehCGdietisexperiencingarevivalnowisunclear,butthehypehassparkedaresponsefromtheFDA.InJanuary,theagencywarnedthathomeopathichCGisfraudulentandillegalwhensoldforweight-losspurposes.ThoughtheFDAsaidsuchproductsaren'tnecessarilydangerous,theirsaleisdeceptive,sincethere'snogoodevidencethey'reeffectiveforweightloss.What'smore,allhCGproducts,includinginjectionsprescribedbyadoctor,mustcarryawarningstatingthere'snoprooftheyaccelerateweightloss,redistributefat,ornumbthehungeranddiscomforttypicalofalow-caloriediet.

Nonetheless,doctorsarestilldolingoutprescriptionsforthedailyinjections,typicallyinsertedintothethigh.AtNewBeginningsWeightLossClinicinFlorida,forexample,anin-housephysicianhasprescribedinjectionsto3,000clientssince2008,andclinicaldirectorJoLynnHansenhasrecentlyobservedamarkedjumpininterest.There,clientscanoptforeithera23-dayplan（$495）ora40-dayregimen（$595）.Aftertakingasixweekbreakandeatingnormally—topreventthebodyfrombecoming"hCG-immune"—manyresumetheprocess,completingmultiplecycles."Wehavepeopleflyinginfromalloverthecountry,"Hansensays."It'sjustatinylittleneedlethatprickstheskin.Anyonecandoit."

ThoughhCGdietershavesomeleewayinhowtheyspendtheir500dailycalories,they'reurgedtochooseorganicmeats,vegetables,andfish.Dairy,carbs,alcohol,andsugarareallofflimits.Aday'smealsmightconsistofcoffeeandanorangeforbreakfast;alittletilapiaandrawasparagusforlunch;apieceoffruitintheafternoon;andcrab,spinach,Melbatoast,andteafordinner.Ifdietersslipup,they'reencouragedtocompensatebydrinkingonlywaterandeatingnothingbutsixapplesfor24hours.That'sthoughttohelpsqueezeoutwaterweight,apsychologicalboosttohelpthemgetbackontrack.

"Itwasn'tthathardtopulloff,andI'ddoitagaininaheartbeat,"ravedLondon-basedfashionstylistAlisonEdmondinFebruary'sMarieClaire."Intheend,Ilostatotalof25pounds,endingupataweightIhadn'tbeenin10years."Despitesuccessstorieslikehers,scientificevidenceontheplanisshakyatbest.In1995,researchersanalyzed14clinicaltrialsonthehCGdiet.OnlytwoconcludedhCGwasanymoreeffectivethanaplaceboathelpingpeopleloseweight.Andnearly10yearsearlier,areportintheCanadianMedicalAssociationJournalstatedhCGhas"novalue"asameansofmanagingobesity,andthatthediethasbeen"thoroughlydiscreditedandthusrejectedbythemajorityofthemedicalcommunity."

Detractorssaythehormoneisn'tsomemiracleingredienttoweightloss—therestrictivedietis."Ifyoudon'teat,youloseweight,"Cohensays."IfhCGtrulydiminishedhunger,itwouldbeawonderfuldrug.Butifthatwerethecase,whycouldn'tyoujustmodestlyreduceyourintakewhileusingit?

Whywouldyouhavetosimultaneouslystarveyourself?

"Butbelieversinsistthat,thankstohCG,theycansticktoalow-caloriedietwithouthungerpangs,whilelosingunwantedfat.They'readamantthathCGisessentialtothediet'ssuccess."Peoplearestronglyconvincedthatthishormonewillkeepthemona500-caloriediet.Andthepowerofsuggestioncanbeaverystrongforce,"saysCohen.

Ofcourse,theregimenisn'twithoutrisks.Thehormoneisknowntocauseheadaches,bloodclots,legcramps,temporaryhairthinning,constipation,andbreasttenderness.TheFDAhasreceivedatleastonerecentreportofanHCGdieterdevelopingapulmonaryembolism,apotentiallyfatalbloodclotinthelung,saysagencyspokespersonShellyBurgess.Yet,thehormone'sfullriskprofileisunknown."HCGwasstudiedbriefly[forweightloss]andfoundtobeineffective,sowehavenoideawhatitspotentialrisksare,"Cohensays."DoIhavedatathatitcausesheartattacks,stroke,orcancer?

No,Idon't,becausewejustdon'tknowatthispoint."WhilehCGmaybesafeonitsown—theFDAsaysit'ssafeasaninfertilitytreatment—pairingitwithanextremelylow-caloriedietcouldhaveunexpectedsideeffects.

Twoyearsago,LoriHill,40,ofSaltLakeCity,Utah,begana28-dayhCGdietcycle.Shesaysshelostabout26pounds,includingthighfat,largelywithouthunger.Butshefeltillalmostimmediately,andbythelastweekofthediet,Hill—afitandactivesoccerreferee—couldn'tclimbaflightofstairswithoutgaspingforbreath.Theeffortmadehermusclesburnandshake,too.Aftercompletingthecycle,Hillregainedalltheweightshehadlost,plusanadditional15pounds."Istarvedmyselfandthrewallmynutrientsoutofwhack,"shesays."You'retrickingyourbodyintolettingyoustarve,withoutfeelinganymajorhunger.Whatyou'redoingtoyourbodyjustisn'tworthit."

There'snoquestionthat500caloriesadayistantamounttomalnutrition—dietersshouldneverdipbelow1,200,sayexperts—andfederaldietaryguidelinesrecommendmorethanthreetimestheamountofcaloriesthedietprescribesforwomenages19to30.Moreover,extremelylow-caloriedietscancausesevereboneandmuscleloss,electrolyteimbalances,gallstones,andevendeath."I'veheardalotofpeoplesaythesideeffectsofthisdietareoverwhelming,"saysregistereddietitianKeriGans,aspokespersonfortheAmericanDieteticAssociation."Andtheycouldstartassoonasonedayin—you'llstartfeelingirritatedandtired."

ToGans,theregimenisnothingmorethanacrashdiet—andanexpensiveoneatthat.Amoresensibleroutetoweightloss,shesays,isnomoremysteriousthanchoosinghealthyfoods,limitingportionsizes,andexercising."Thisisanotherapproachforpeoplewhobelievethere'sasilverbullet,butthereisnosuchthing.Allthisdietdoesisshowyouhowtorestrict,andapersoncanonlydothatforsolongwithoutreturningtooldhabits."

Passage2：

DoesDrinkingWaterBeforeMealsHelpYouLoseWeight?

Twoglassesbeforemealsmayhelpyoushedpoundspermanently

ByHannaDubansky

Drinkingtwo8-ounceglassesofwaterbeforebreakfast,lunch,anddinnermaybejustthebackstopyourwillpowerneedstohelpyoushedpoundspermanentlyin2011,accordingtoarecentstudypublishedinObesity.Researchersinstructedtwogroupsofoverweightorobesemenandwomentofollowalow-caloriediet,askingonegrouptoalsodrinktwocupsofwaterbeforemeals.After12weeks,thewaterdrinkershadlostanaverageof15½pounds,comparedwith11poundsforthecontrolgroup.Thosewhocontinuedthehabitforayearlostanadditional1½poundsonaverage."Iwouldneverpromotethisasaget-slim-quickscheme,"saysseniorstudyauthorBrendaDavy,anassociateprofessorinthedepartmentofhumannutrition,foods,andexerciseatVirginiaTechUniversity,whonotesthatthepracticeslowstheemptyingofthestomach."Thisissimplyanadditionalstrategythatcouldhelppeoplemanagetheirhunger."

Thestudyexaminedtheeffectonlyonmiddle-ageandolderadults,butLiweiChen,anassistantprofessorofepidemiologyatLouisianaStateUniversityHealthScienceCenterSchoolofPublicHealth,thinksit'sasmartstrategyforeverybody,particularlyifitcausesthemtocutbackonsoda.Americanadultsaverage28ouncesofsugar-sweetenedbeveragesperday,saysChen,wholedastudypublishedinMaythatfoundevenasmallreductioninsugarintakesignificantlyloweredbloodpressure."Aimtoavoidsugar-sweetenedbeveragesaltogether,"sheadvises.Thatway,youbattletworiskfactorsatonce.

Passage3:

TVWatchingIsBadforBabies'Brains

ByNancyShute

BabieswhowatchTVaremorelikelytohavedelayedcognitivedevelopmentandlanguage