Many Physician Weight Loss Programs Should Come With Warning Labels, Says C.W. Randolph, Jr., M.D., One of the Country's Leading Bio-Identical Hormon

Jacksonville, Fla. (PRWEB) February 21, 2008 -- America is fat and, unfortunately, the country's waistline is expanding. According to statistics released by the American Obesity Association, approximately 127 million adults in the U.S. are overweight. In business marketing terms, this is a huge target market. Recent market data reports indicate that Americans spend an average of $33 billion a year on weight-reduction programs and products. No wonder so many physicians are beginning to market themselves as "weight loss gurus."

"Sometimes a physician-supervised weight loss program can be good; but other times it can be bad or worse, even downright dangerous," says Dr. C.W. Randolph, best selling author of From Belly Fat to Belly Flat and From Hormone Hell to Hormone Well." As a board certified gynecologist, I have never positioned myself as a weight loss expert," says Dr. Randolph. "I got into this realm quite accidentally."

"More than a decade ago, I became convinced that bio-identical hormones, which are hormones that are chemically identical to the hormones produced within the human body, were a safer and more effective option for treating hormone imbalance concerns than the frequently prescribed chemically-altered synthetic hormones, such as Premarin (conjugated esterified estrogen from horse urine) and Prempro (medroxyprogesterone), that medical studies now link to an increased risk of breast, uterine and prostate cancers, stroke, heart attack and Alzheimer's disease. I treated my patients' symptoms of hormone imbalance with a combination of bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), a nutritional program of specific foods and supplements designed to naturally decrease the body's extra estrogen load and lifestyle recommendations to help modify how stress can negatively impact hormone production. The results were overwhelming. Not only did thousands of women and men experience relief of symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, fuzzy thinking/memory loss, depression, low libido and fatigue, my patients finally lost their stubborn love handles and kept them off for good."

Dr. Randolph says his weight loss programI, the Three Step Belly Flat Plan, is effective and healthy because it is based on solid medical data, and it is all natural and it works.

"There are several other good physician-developed nutritional plans out there but, if a person's hormones are out of balance at the cellular level, they won't be able to lose those stubborn pounds around their middle no matter how healthily they eat, how few calories they consume or how much they exercise," says Randolph, "A nutritional plan alone, even a good one, is just a set up for frustration and failure."

"Unfortunately, there are doctors whose approach to weight loss is questionable, if not downright dangerous," Dr. Randolph adds. "People who are desperate for solutions become vulnerable to unethical or unproven approaches. I strongly recommend that individuals be aware of the side effects of the new prescription appetite suppressant drugs on the market; they remain too controversial and have been shown to have a yo-yo effect when stopped. And, in my opinion, if a doctor starts to write you a prescription for off-label use of a drug -- such as those traditionally prescribed to treat diabetes or epilepsy -- you should run for the hills. These medications have been shown to have severe, even life-threatening side effects."

According to WebMD, Most appetite suppressants are used as a short-term treatment for people with obesity. Not only do the drugs' effects tend to wear off after a few weeks, but they can also have some unpleasant side effects, including:

? Increased heart rate

? Increased blood pressure

? Sweating

? Constipation

? Insomnia (inability to sleep or stay asleep)

* Excessive thirst

? Lightheadedness

? Drowsiness

? Stuffy nose

? Headache

? Anxiety

? Dry mouth

When asked about GlaxoSmithKline's new over-the-counter (no prescription necessary) weight loss drug Alli, Randolph explained, "Alli is based on the prescription drug Orlistat, which has been on the market for a while. Side effects of this pill approach to weight loss can include diarrhea, anal leakage, abdominal cramping, passing gas, leakage of oily stool, increased number of bowel movements and the inability to control bowel movements," replies Randolph. "This is a classic example of how -- when pharmaceutical marketing gets ahead of true patient care -- people suffer."

"Finally," concludes Dr. Randolph, "if a doctor says he or she can help you lose weight, find out how long they have been treating overweight individuals and get references before you write a check. Do your homework to make sure that you are working with a qualified medical professional not just a marketing spin doctor."

For more information on Dr. Randolph, go to www.hormonewell.com. For media inquiries, contact Nanette Noffsinger.

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