Meal replacement is gaining traction across China. The latest craze is booming for people who are too busy to eat or to look into weight loss techniques, such as a way to eat less. A national certified health manager said it is a good lifestyle.  

Chen Jing is a nutritionist and also a big advocate for meal replacement products. She started trying them out six years ago when she wanted to lose weight, but now after years of research and experimentation, she's started using them only one week a month, as a way to cleanse her digestive system.  

"A lot of diseases in our society are caused by overeating. Many people have realized that they've taken in too much food in their daily life, so trying some meal replacement can help change that. It's quite healthy," Chen said. 

It is like a cleansing process, the meal replacements Chen consumes usually cost 1,000 yuan. Chen said that the market is mixed with good and bad products. A good meal replacement product has full and balanced nutrition content like probiotics, protein powder and fiber, and Chen argued that meal replacements are not just another weight loss diet. 

The market is growing in China, and recent research by CBNData show that much of that growth is among people who are already health conscious. Sales of meal replacement products grew by 50 percent last year and 85 percent of consumers are also gym members. It's estimated that the industry in China is now worth 30 billion yuan a year. Analysts said this is another sign of the country's growing wellness economy especially since it is also seen as a convenient product.  

"One big push for the popularity I'd say is the easy access to this product. For office workers, they have a lot of choices, be it powder, or milk shake. It's easy to make and have. So the sales are quite good," said Gong Menghan, a senior data analyst at CBNData. 

However, meal replacements are not risk-free like many other supplements. The sector is largely unregulated, and it is easy to find examples of manufacturers exaggerating claims of their products' effectiveness. That's going to be a major hurdle for companies trying to slim down their consumers and fatten their profits.