Publisher's Synopsis
Obesity has increased dramatically worldwide over the past few decades. According to the World Health Organization, more than one-third of adults in China are overweight, while 7% of adults are obese, with some provinces reaching epidemic proportions. Chronic obesity increases individual risks for many diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension, which are also increasing in prevalence among Chinese populations at an alarming rate. From a health-care perspective, addressing overweight and obesity is an important strategy that contributes to the prevention or reduced risk of developing these diseases within the Chinese population. A chronic imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure plays an important role in the development of obesity. Long-term negative energy balance is necessary for individuals with overweight and obesity to lose weight. Energy-restricted meal replacements are a safe and effective strategy for weight control that has been implemented in many studies. In addition, lifestyle changes, accompanied by partial or whole meal replacements, in which some aspects of the individuals' daily routine are altered may be more preferable. However, physiological response to specific meal replacement diets is heterogeneous and may vary by individual or population. Specifically, there are few studies looking at the effects of low-calorie meal replacement in Chinese populations, for which environmental, nutritional, and physiological differences are known to exist.
