Weight Loss & Management

It is undeniable that a modern lifestyle has accelerated the rate of obesity throughout the world. According to World Health Organization in 2021, more than 1.9 billion adults are overweight globally, out of which 650 million are obese.

Being overweight and obese poses a real problem for the world population as they can lead to chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, Type II diabetes and high blood pressure. Besides this, the extra weight also affects musculoskeletal health, putting stress on joints, potentially leading to osteoarthritis and affecting the quality of life.

The good news is that being overweight and obese is preventable. Losing weight requires willpower and dedication and, more importantly, making appropriate lifestyle changes and adopting the right methods.

At Amaris B. Clinic, we understand the quest to shed extra weight can be daunting for many. We provide tailored medical weight loss and management programmes prescribed by our medical director, Dr Ivan Puah, who holds a Graduate Diploma in Sports Medicine. With over 20 years of clinical experience, Dr Puah can help you to achieve your weight and body goal effectively and safely.

Disclaimer: For general medical information only

WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY?

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
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• Normal weight: BMI is between 18.5 - 24.9
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• Overweight: BMI is ≥ 25
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• Pre-obese: BMI is 25 - 29.9
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• Obesity: BMI is ≥ 30

WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF LOSING WEIGHT?

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)

WHAT LEADS TO OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY?

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.

UNDERSTANDING ENERGY BALANCE AND CALORIES

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.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT ARE CALORIES?

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.

HOW MANY CALORIES WILL I NEED?

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.

About Amaris B’s Weight Loss & Management Programme

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.

WHO IS SUITABLE TO UNDERGO THE WEIGHT LOSS & MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME?

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.

IS WEIGHT LOSS THE SAME AS FAT LOSS ?

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.

WHY AM I LOSING WEIGHT BUT MY ARMS STILL CAN’T SLIM DOWN?

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.

I DIETED AND LOST WEIGHT BUT WHY DO I FEEL WEAK AND TIRED?

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.

I NOTICED THAT I LOST WEIGHT, BUT I AM NOT DIETING. SHOULD I BE WORRIED?

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.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FAD DIET

It’s purported that a fad diet can encourage rapid weight loss, which is enough to make many people overlook that there is not much scientific evidence behind its claims. Among others, followers of fad diets often find themselves having to submit to a regime that includes restrictions on what and when certain foods should be consumed. Additionally, these often involve consuming unnecessary and expensive food items and/or supplements.

There is no bullet magic when it comes to weight loss. Weight loss should be done correctly because shortcuts and cutting corners can lead to potentially severe outcomes.

Other red flags to look out for include the following:

Eating only one type of food
A diet that promotes this particular practice is a big red flag. No one food can fulfil a body’s needs. Cutting out a type of food may be recommended (for medical reasons) but consuming only one type can border on the ridiculous.

The promise of rapid weight loss
‍Rapid weight loss can be detrimental to a person, especially over time. The body will go into chaos mode to deal with the hyper loss, which can lead to many other issues.

A generic diet plan
‍This is where what is suitable for A should be good for B. The problem is we are unique, and this requires a befitting approach. Understanding our body is crucial so that a tailored program can be drawn up to achieve true success - safely.

Weight loss is solely about appearance
‍Undoubtedly, looking good helps raise a person’s confidence. Still, a real weight loss program should always include their well-being beyond what’s on the outside.
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Unclear or no scientific evidence support
‍This is very important because any claim that can make a person healthier, such as weight loss, should always be backed by clear scientific evidence and/or proof. We tend to overlook this part because we are visual creatures of vanity and are easily taken in by what we see, such as images of success stories and the like.

The above-mentioned is not an exhaustive list, but it does serve as a good start. Ideally, one should consult a qualified and proven expert in the field before embarking on a weight loss program. Arranging a doctor’s consultation to better understand your body is a recommended first step. The goal is to lose weight without compromising your well-being.