Overweight and obesity are global issues that have more than doubled since 1980. Poor nutrition, especially a diet high in carbohydrates, and lack of exercise are the main drivers of increasing weight worldwide. The metabolic balance program addresses this by recommending a diet with 3 meals per day, fewer and higher quality carbohydrates, and normal calorie intake instead of low-calorie or low-fat diets. An independent study found that over 60% of participants following the metabolic balance program lost over 5% of their body weight and maintained the loss for at least one year.