The prevalence of obesity is at epidemic proportions, 60% of US adults are overweight or obese. Obesity contributes to chronic diseases (diabetes, cardiovascular disease \[CVD\], hypertension, cancer, and osteoarthritis) and to escalating health care costs. Weight loss can have a substantial impact on reducing these conditions. Substantial efforts have been made in developing effective short-term weight loss programs using behavioral treatments. However, long-term maintenance of weight loss continues to be problematic - many individuals regain the weight lost within a year. Innovative intervention options are critically needed to help people successfully maintain weight loss and to fight the obesity epidemic. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches-mind-body, energy healing, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) approaches may hold great promise for helping improve the maintenance of weight loss.
