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Meal replacements

Obesity is rising at epidemic proportions for both children and adults. Many people attempt to control their body weight in order to enhance personal health, appearance, and self image. Common methods to control or lose weight include a reduced-calorie diet that manages fat, carbohydrate, and protein intake; pharmaceuticals, such as amphetamine-like agents to affect the hypothalamic center and reduce the hunger sensation; and a physical activity/exercise program. There're a variety of weight-loss products that include fat blockers, starch blockers, magnetic diet pills, diet patches, spirulina (blue-green algae), weight-loss earrings, appetite-suppressing eyeglasses, a variety of herbal products, electrical stimulators, etc. Very low calorie formula diet containing the minimum daily requirements of each of the minerals, proteins and digestible carbohydrates required by man have achieved remarkable commercial success. The nutritional supplement can be formulated into a snack to be taken as part of the diet or it can be formulated as a meal replacement. A reduced-calorie diet may also include nutritionally-balanced meal replacement drinks. Typically, a meal replacement drink is provided either ready to drink or in powder form that is mixed with milk or water. These drinks usually provide a large percentage of the recommended daily values for fiber, protein (amino acids), vitamins and minerals.

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