Weight loss methods vary across the world

Regarding the various weight loss methods and products that are popular around the world, experts have continuously raised doubts. Overall, the majority of experts do not advocate for weight loss through medication, believing that up to this point, there is no weight loss drug that has been proven to be both safe and highly effective. Although weight loss surgery can show results relatively quickly, it carries greater risks.

This year, the International Health and Body Shape (IHBS) report, conducted by the Health Protection Research Group at the University of London, was published in the *International Journal of Obesity*. This report surveyed 18,512 women from 22 countries about their perceptions of being overweight and concluded that Asian women are the most sensitive to weight issues and make the greatest efforts towards weight loss; women from the United States and the United Kingdom follow closely behind; next are women from the Mediterranean region. Due to women's relentless efforts over the years to lose weight, countries worldwide have also made every effort and developed distinctive approaches in researching weight loss products. What are the current international trends in weight loss? Are there any new methods or drugs for weight loss? A journalist recently conducted relevant investigations in some countries.

**1. South Korea**

**Invention of "Diet Oil"**

Excessive intake of fats in daily diets is one of the main causes of obesity, but cooking oils are indispensable in meal preparation. Thus, Koreans, who have racked their brains over this issue, have invented a "diet oil." It is claimed that this new concept cooking oil, introduced by South Korea’s first sugar manufacturing company, differs greatly from traditional cooking oils: the triglycerides contained in the latter are easily absorbed by the small intestine and then enter the bloodstream as fat; however, the "diet oil" contains diglycerides, which are not absorbed by the body and converted into fat but instead are excreted with food waste. According to clinical trials conducted in Japan, if obese individuals consume this "diet oil" continuously for three months, they could lose approximately 2 kilograms. Although "diet oil" is about 3.8 times more expensive than regular cooking oil, it has already caught the attention of companies producing instant noodles, fast food, and other products that use large amounts of cooking oil. Some predict that perhaps in the near future, there will be "diet instant noodles," "diet fast food," and other foods produced using "diet oil" in South Korea. For more details, click on the link below.