Several friends of mine are on board a new weight loss wagon- HCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin drops. As with many other things, this is something that is being promoted in churches, especially amongst women. And when I say 'promoted', I don't mean from the pulpit- just amongst women who often trust each other's judgment, deservedly or not.
These ladies are definitely losing weight- from 30 lbs to over 100 for one lady- but I've read the requirements of this diet, and the research, or lack thereof, supporting the idea that these hormones cause weight loss.
This is sort of a ministry question, but do any of you 'do' anything when you see several people in your church adopting, and encouraging others to adopt, a questionable practice?
Thanks for answering, Anne. What concerns me is the transfer of trust that takes place without any critical thinking. IOW, Jane trusts Beth, so if Beth uses said method, then Jane will use it. But what Jane doesn't know is that the reason Beth is using it is because Ethel is, and Beth trusts Ethel. But Ethel heard about if from Aunt Bertha, and Bertha heard it from Mary Lou. So really, Jane is trusting the judgment of Mary Lou, whom she has never met and could be as nutty as a fruitcake.
The idea of tricking the body into losing weight with hormones found in the urine of pregnant women gives me a serious case of the willies. It's a dangerous shortcut, IMO, and the spiritual implications should not be ignored. But American Christians get really upset when you start talking about weight loss and eating healthy and exercising.
Susan R
Blogging at At Home and School and Shelf Discoveries
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