A Review on Obesity and its Management: Focus on Meal Replacement Therapy

Obesity is one of the major health concerns worldwide. In India, over 135 million subjects are affected by obesity. In the last two decades, the prevalence of obesity has increased rapidly. Several factors such as sedentary lifestyle, increased portion size in diet, environmental factors and genetic predisposition are responsible for the increased prevalence of obesity. Obesity also increases the risk of several disease conditions, which has a negative impact on quality of life, work productivity and healthcare costs, leading to a rise in mortality rates. Asian Indians are at a higher risk of developing obesity-related co- morbidities at lower levels of Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference compared with Caucasians. Weight loss is a logical step in the management of obesity. Even a modest weight loss of 5-10% of total body weight has shown to significantly improve health and well-being. A negative energy balance achieved by lesser calorie consumption than expenditure serves as the basic principle for weight loss. The role of Meal Replacement (MR) in the management of obesity is discussed in this review. Studies have shown that MR is effective for safe weight loss. MR is designed to deliver optimum nutrition with a minimum glycaemic index. Optifast by Nestle Health Sciences is one such MR product, which is effective for weight management in individuals with obesity.