Abstract

Obesity is a serious health concern, which has been linked to an increased risk forcardiovascular diseases and some cancers. The traditional obesity control program isexpensive. Moreover, it is difficult to maintain a healthy body weight as well as reducebody fat. The long-term use of effective and tolerable medication is carefully recommended to control body weight. In addition to obesity control medications, health functional foods, related to body weight control, have become popular in the commercial market. Known mechanisms include lipolysis, appetite control, inflammation reduction, and lean body mass maintenance. Previous clinical trials have documentedthe efficacy of some health functional foods; however, there are limitations. Studieson the potential roles and efficacy of some health functional foods, including caffeine,green tea, protein supplement, probiotics, and arginine, were reviewed. More largescale and randomized placebo-controlled trials should be conducted eventually.