Overweight and obesity are defined as having excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. Weight status was classified using the Body Mass Index (BMI).
BMI Formula = kg/m2
(Where kg is a person’s weight and m2 is their height in metres squared)
According to the definition of World Health Organization (WHO), an adult is considered:
• Underweight: BMI is < 18.5
• Normal weight: BMI is between 18.5 - 24.9
• Overweight: BMI is ≥ 25
• Pre-obese: BMI is 25 - 29.9
• Obesity: BMI is ≥ 30
The main motivator for those who want to lose weight is to improve overall health, lower the risks of chronic disease, enhance self-confidence and improve their quality of life, such as mood, sleep and energy level.
According to clinical data, an average weight loss of 5 to 10 percent of the body weight can significantly improve blood pressure, blood sugar and blood cholesterol*.
*Reference: Health Effects of Overweight and Obesity from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC 24/7)
An energy imbalance between calorie intake and calorie output is the fundamental cause of overweight and obesity. For example, when your food intake is high in fat and sugars coupled with physical inactivity OR when you eat more required calories, your body converts and stores the extra calories as body fat.
Our bodies need nutritional energy such as fats, carbohydrates and proteins so that our vital organs can function properly. We fuel our bodies with energy when we eat and drink, which is used up through everyday movement.
Now, to maintain a stable weight:
ENERGY (IN) = ENERGY (*USED)
*For normal bodily functions/physical activity
When we talk about "maintaining a healthy diet," it means balancing the energy one puts into the body with the energy used.
A calorie is a unit used to measure the energy value of food.
Your body will require fat, carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, vitamins and water to function properly. Carbohydrates and protein yield 4 calories per gram, while fat yields 9 calories per gram.
To lose weight, an individual will need to consume FEWER calories than the body needs each day. However, weight loss is not as simple as it seems because factors such as hormonal changes, genetics, health condition and age play a part in the energy imbalance between calorie intake and calorie output.
According to Health Promotion Board Singapore, the daily calorie intake for most females is 1800 kcal. For most males, the daily calorie intake is 2200 kcal. However, factors such as age, gender, physical activity level and body size also affect the amount of calories your body will need to keep going.
During the weight loss and management consultation, Dr Ivan Puah will assess and provide you with personalised recommended daily calorie intake advice.
It is a tailored programme created by Dr Ivan Puah to help individuals who want to lose extra weight safely and steadily.
We understand that weight loss is a process and a commitment. Seeing the number on the weighing scale reduced is a great motivator, so is fitting into a smaller dress size!
Dr Puah believes that when patients gain the right knowledge, coupled with a fact-based and science-based approach he planned, patients can lose weight effectively and maintain it.
During the consultation, Dr Puah will assess the patient’s health condition, discuss the weight loss goals in detail and develop the most appropriate plan.
Addressing the root cause of weight gain is important as weight loss and management is more complex than just “calories in and out”. We can’t stress enough that the foundation for treating weight loss and obesity for some people is through exercise (fitness), making healthier food choices and lifestyle changes. Still, these are not enough for many others to lose and sustain weight loss.
Amaris B. Weight Loss & Management programme incorporates medical interventions such as metabolic medications (oral/injections) that help to suppress the neuroendocrine pathway for a more sustainable weight loss, with personalised diet recommendation and fitness regimen. Patients will be monitored and followed up closely while under this programme.
Losing weight can be stressful and tiring. We believe a holistic approach to weight loss encompasses a body, mind and health approach. Therefore we have lined up Myotherapy and Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) massage to help you calm your nervous system, improve your digestive system, and stimulate the flow of blood, oxygen, nutrients and lymphatic fluid for better overall health.
Skin is the biggest organ that bears the brunt of our neglect. The signs are sagging, stretch marks and cellulite. This calls for skin aesthetics treatment such as Ultherapy, lasers, microdermabrasion or medical-grade skin peels to the rescue.
Amaris B.’s Clinic Weight Loss & Management programme is suitable for anyone who wants to lose weight progressively and effectively but has struggled with finding the correct means.
Based on Dr Ivan Puah’s experience in helping patients lose the extra kilos over the years, he concluded that patients who embarked on weight loss in a gradual manner (0.45 kg to 0.9 kg loss/week) are more likely to keep it off than those who lose a drastic amount of weight within a short period.
Losing weight is more than just seeing the number dropping on the weighing scale. It is working towards a healthier body to improve the quality of life.
We often have patients asking this question, and understandably, it is easy to confuse the two. After all, isn’t losing weight and losing fat too?
In essence, weight loss indicates an overall body weight reduction from muscle, fat and water and a drop in your kilo weight. Fat loss is a reduction of fat mass.
Fat tissue (also known as adipose tissue) is responsible for storing fat (triglycerides) and is found all over the body. Subcutaneous fat is the soft, pinchable fat under the skin and occupies 90 percent of body fat.
In comparison, the remaining 10 percent is known as the intra-abdominal fat (visceral fat) that is out of reach and lies beneath the firm abdominal wall, packing around internal organs. Fat is also found between muscles, breast tissue, and bone marrow.
Under the influence of sex hormone production, males store more visceral fat, while women store more subcutaneous fat.
Weight loss can improve your overall health and fitness level and give you more energy. However, you can’t detect the body to burn more fat or slim down on the specific body parts you want to.
It is also not possible to spot reduce with working out either. Liposuction is the solution to get rid of the localised fat that does not respond to diet or workout. This body contouring procedure can help remove stubborn and excess subcutaneous fat for a slimmer and more contoured physique. It can remove fat from the face, arms, armpits, male chest, back, belly, waist, hips, thighs, knees and calves.
We provide UAL (Ultrasonic-Assisted Liposuction), Modern Liposuction with MDC-Sculpt®️ Lipo technique, *VASER Liposuction and Laserlipolysis (Laser Liposuction) for patients who want to further shape and tone their physique after they meet their weight loss goal.
*VASER (an acronym for Vibration Amplification of Sound Energy at Resonance) liposuction - a liposuction technique with the assistance of ultrasound waves to break up and liquefy fat cells, making them easier for extraction.
While being overweight and obese is bad for your health, losing weight too fast is equally detrimental to your health. If you lose more than 1 kg a week for a sustained period, it is termed as "extreme weight loss."
You may notice that you feel cold frequently, your hair becomes brittle and falls off easily, and as your body is deprived of essential nutrients, feelings of weakness and fainting spells can occur. Due to insufficient calorie intake, your energy level takes a hit, too, causing you to feel tired, moody and weak.
A drastic or extreme diet is strongly discouraged as it can lead to electrolyte imbalances (these are critical for cellular function), a loss of muscle mass, gallstone formation, and a decrease in metabolism rate.
If you are experiencing unusual weight loss over six months and losing more than 10 percent of your body weight, you should seek immediate medical attention.
Medical conditions that could possibly lead to unusual weight loss include thyroid-related problems, rheumatoid arthritis, gut-related diseases, diabetes, cancer, or clinical depression.
Fad diets often promise a quick fix but temporary solution for weight loss, a lifelong problem for many. Commonly, fad diets are endorsed by celebrities and influencers, and heavily promoted through advertisements and media. Examples of fad diets include hyping about a particular type of food, such as raw food, or one that is high-fat, high-protein or low-carbohydrate.
An important source of nutrients is eliminated in fad diets. They often lack essential nutrients for our body to function optimally, such as carbohydrates, essential vitamins and minerals or dietary fibres.
Some examples of fad diets include Atkins, Grapefruit Diet and Liquid Diet.
Tips to help you spot and avoid a fad diet:
• Diet that has "testimonials" claiming how fast they lose weight in a short time or miraculously
• Diet recommendations that are made to sell or promote a book or a product
• Diet that makes dramatic claims that are refuted by a reputable scientific organisation
• Diet that makes claims that are too good to be true
• Diet that eliminates one or more of these five important food groups- fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins and dairy
Interestingly, weight regain is quick when one stops fad dieting. You may not be aware that weight gain is actually the body's default mode, so whatever you do to lose the weight, you've got to be able to do even more to maintain the results. That is the reason why fad diet is not sustainable throughout your life.
If you are struggling with weight issues, let us help you with Dr Ivan Puah's fact-based, science-based and holistic approach. We welcome you to schedule a consultation with us to understand the sustainable way to lose weight and regain health.