P.O.W. diet
Written: Jun 28 '00 (Updated Jun 28 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A great moneymaker fro the manufacturers
Cons: Unbelievably dangerous program
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| KarmaDr's Full Review: Optifast Program |
I had been in an accident and hurt my back. I was prescribed painkillers, anti-inflammatory meds and Optifast (for quick weight loss to relieve pressure on my back). After filling out piles of forms (asking about meds and medical treatment) and getting an extensive medical exam, I was assigned a time to meet with my Optifast group.
During the meetings, a social worker would discuss a specific topic from the assigned, program notebook. The discussions involved topics such as "what is a calorie" and "how many glasses of water did you drink today?". After the sessions, we would all receive our packets of 100ish calorie, fasting powder.
After 2 weeks of diarrhea (for which I was "prescribed" a laxative), I started passing out. I informed the "doctors" of my symptoms. They claimed that what I was experiencing was a normal effect of ketosis (your body eating it's own fat and muscle during starvation). A week later, I noticed bruising. I had bruises on my wrist (from wearing a watch), bruises on my feet (from wearing shoes), and bruises covering my body from simple acts like scratching.
When I reported the bruising to the doctors...they weighed me (I had lost 40 pounds in 4 weeks), took photos of the bruises, and dumped me from the program...literally. They said I was not to attend the meeting in the next room, nor speak to any of the attendees. I was given no instructions on how to reintroduce food to my diet (which they had earlier warned would cause serious physical problems if initiated again too quickly...thus necessitating compliance in Optifast's maintenance program for several months.
From my experience, this program is the most dangerous form of weight loss this side of a POW camp. They treated me like some kind of experimental lab rat...and when I failed to successfully prove their treatment hypothesis...I was quickly eliminated from the study. There is no redeeming benefit to this program.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
KarmaDr
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Location: California
Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 1 member
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