44.4% of women in Singapore aged 15 to 64 reported ranking hair loss as their top hair concern, surpassing concerns about hair damage or dryness
November 24, 2025
Table of Contents
The abundance of available online information regarding weight loss, fat loss, and dieting can be overwhelming and confusing.
Dubious articles with titles like “500 Calorie Daily Diets” and “Lose 10kg in a Week” certainly do not help the cause. It can be daunting, and to the uninitiated, all the information may seem overwhelming and confusing.
To help sift out facts from myths, read what Dr Ivan Puah, Medical Director of Amaris B. Clinic and an accredited liposuction doctor in Singapore, advises.
What is the cause of weight gain and obesity?
Being overweight or obese are not caused by ONE single factor. There are numerous misconceptions about this.
“An overweight person is often viewed as lacking the discipline and willpower to ‘eat less and exercise more’. In reality, weight loss is a complicated issue.
The weight gain that leads to obesity is often a chronic, relapsing disorder due to multiple factors like genetics, behavioural, psychological, environmental, medical, etc,” explains Dr Ivan Puah, who also holds a Graduate Diploma in Sports Medicine.
While an individual’s effort is critical in weight management, other factors include family, social, health services and public policy. A strong, supportive unit is essential for someone on a weight loss journey.
What Happens When We Lose Weight?
Tightly regulated by complex systems, our body’s fat cells store excess energy for survival. Under normal, stable circumstances, the body regulates metabolic responses to maintain a stable weight, just as it regulates body temperature or blood pressure.
Dr Puah shares, “It is believed that the body appears to have a ‘set point’ for body weight. Any deviation triggers a compensatory response in the opposite direction to restore the ‘set point’.
For example, in response to weight loss, energy expenditure is reduced accordingly to resist further loss. This allows the ‘set point’ to be restored. Weight regain after weight loss may be a physiological response rather than a failure of conscious effort.”
For some individuals, the resistance to weight loss can persist for years despite efforts to lose weight. This, unfortunately, predisposes them to excessive weight gain in the future.
Does Counting Calories Work?
Dr Ivan Puah shares that a one-size-fits-all solution for weight loss doesn’t exist.
“I adopt a fact-based and science-based system so patients can achieve results safely and effectively. Dietary changes or medical intervention alone are insufficient for achieving successful weight loss.
You also need to incorporate exercise. I recommend at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity per week, with resistance training at least twice weekly.”
Studies have shown that exercise alone rarely results in more than a 3% weight loss, while a combination of diet and exercise can result in 5% to 15% weight loss.
What is your opinion on popular diets?
“There are many diets, including low-fat, low-carb, and even special diets focused on eating patterns like DASH, Mediterranean, Intermittent Energy Restriction, Paleo, and many others.
“However,” explains Dr Ivan Puah, “studies have failed to prove the long-term superiority of one diet over another.”
What happens when the body loses weight?
When the body loses weight, it loses muscle mass and fat. To minimise muscle loss, an adequate intake of protein in the diet and incorporating resistance exercise will be necessary.
Why can’t we get rid of the fat on our hips and thighs even though we’ve lost weight?
Your body has a genetically predetermined "fat map" that dictates where it prefers to store and lose fat.
For many, especially women, areas like the hips and thighs are alpha-2 receptor-dense zones [1]. Think of these receptors as "fat storage locks." Estrogen makes these areas particularly “efficient” at holding onto fat as a reserved energy source for potential pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Now, during weight loss, your body will be more readily burning fat from other areas with fewer of these "locks" before it even begins to tackle these stubborn, genetically programmed sites.
So, what is an effective and permanent solution? Liposuction.
Liposuction, a body contouring procedure is designed to refine and correct disproportionate body shape [2]. It is meant for individuals who are at or near their ideal body weight but struggle with localised, diet-resistant fat deposits—like stubborn pockets on the abdomen, thighs, or flanks.
So, can liposuction be used for weight loss?
“This is the most common question I’ve been asked. Liposuction targets fat volume and not scale weight. Fat is surprisingly light, thus, removing even a significant volume of fat may only result in a minimal change on the weighing scale.
The primary goal of liposuction is to reshape specific stubborn areas, not to lower your overall body weight,”explains Dr Puah
Weight gain is a systemic metabolic condition
“Liposuction mechanically removes a finite number of fat cells from specific areas, but it does not change your metabolism, your hormones, or your body's fundamental set point.
Without a sustainable lifestyle, any remaining fat cells in untreated areas can still expand, leading to weight gain.”
What happens when you've lost the weight, but your body doesn't yet reflect the effort you have put in?
This is a common and frustrating concern. Even after achieving significant weight loss, many are left with stubborn, diet-resistant fat around the abdomen, thighs, or back. This is where the art of body contouring with liposuction begins.
Liposuction is for those who have already done the hard work and seek to refine their physique. This surgical procedure removes those last pockets of stubborn fat, sculpting a more defined and proportionate shape.
