Weight Management
for Individuals

There is a lot more to obesity and weight management than meets the eye. Don’t wait any longer to manage your weight and find a plan that’s right for you and your body – because Your Weight Can’t Wait.

Your Weight, Can’t Wait

Obesity is a long-term disease with associated health complications.

Obesity is commonly misunderstood and a long-term disease that needs to be managed – it is not a lifestyle choice. Despite efforts to lose weight through watching diet and doing daily exercise, people can still have a hard time losing weight and keeping it off. 2

MYTH

People living with obesity lack willpower to diet and excercise.

FACT

Science has proven that willpower is far from being the only factor to regulate weight. Obesity is caused by a combination of genetic, biological, lifestyle, environmental factors and even life events. Therefore, watching one’s diet and exercise alone are not always enough for weight loss and to maintain that weight loss.

Did you know that our metabolism rate slows down after weight loss?

The human body adapts to exercises and the same exercise will burn less calories when performed regularly over a period or the body releases strong hunger driving hormone in response to weight loss. These contribute to weight regain, and the weight yo-yo effect often seen after weight loss.

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BMI Calculator

Body mass index is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women.

A common way to measure body fat is body mass index (BMI) – calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared (kg/m2). BMI is a tool that healthcare professionals use when diagnosing and discussing your weight and any associated health risks. Research shows that a high BMI is associated with a decreased life expectancy of up to 10 years.1

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Why Should I Lose Weight?

Weight reduction improves many complications

Obesity can be associated with many health complications including heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis (joint pain), sleep apnea (interrupted breathing during sleep) and some types of cancers (including breast and colon cancer). 3,4

A modest amount of weight reduction (e.g. by 5% weight loss) can improve many obesity-related complications and allow you to enjoy your daily activities.5

Benefits of Losing Weight

Improves blood pressure
and cholesterol levels 6, 7

Improves sleep apnea, knee/joint pain and women’s health issues 7

Reduces the risk of cardiometabolic disease such as diabetes and heart disease 6, 7

Improves quality of life 7
b1

Improves blood pressure and cholesterol levels 6, 7

b3

Improves sleep apnea, knee/joint pain and women’s health issues 7

b2

Reduces the risk of cardiometabolic disease such as diabetes
and heart disease 6, 7

b4

Improves quality of life 7

How do I start a conversation with my doctor?

5 questions to ask your doctor before embarking on your weight loss journey

This is an important question, because no single approach works for everyone. This means that the types of tests, evaluations, and treatments will vary depending on your circumstances, health issues, and previous treatments.

An obesity specialist will offer a number of different therapies, sometimes in combination. The goal is to pick the treatment that best addresses the reasons for your weight gain, like your biology, psychology and behaviour. Some options can include healthy eating, increased physical activity, anti-obesity medication or bariatric surgery. An interdisciplinary approach including a medical doctor, a registered dietitian, and a behavioural health specialist might be considered ideal.

Your doctor should be able help you to identify meaningful and realistic goals and tailor an individualized goal / target for you. In general, a 5-10% weight loss over 6 months  is a realistic goal and will bring about tremendous health benefits.5 But it’s equally important to have support during the process. Your healthcare team might include different specialists. Dieticians, psychologists and exercise physiologists can all be helpful, depending on your situation. Local and online support groups are also a great way to exchange experiences and stay motivated.
Asking this question will tell you two things: the success rate of their approach to treating obesity, and whether they keep track of their patients during their treatment. This is important because you want a doctor that invests in long-term treatment.
Obesity is a complex chronic disease. To treat it successfully you need an individual treatment plan that fits your specific needs. This plan should include realistic goals, regular evaluations and a detailed program for you to follow. Depending on your progress, the treatment plan might need to be adjusted or just fine tuned. You need to know that your doctor has more than one approach and more than one tool to help you succeed.

What are my weight management options?

Diet & Exercise

A balanced and calorie-controlled diet is an essential part of the management of obesity, although often it is not enough to support and sustain weight loss.

When it comes to obesity, changing how you eat means much more than just eating less calories by any means necessary. Your doctor will take your eating patterns into consideration when developing your weight management plan to help you move towards a more sustainable relationship with food.

You don’t need to run a marathon every day but adding just a little extra movement and simple exercise into your everyday life can mean a lot. What matters is that you find ways of being physically active that you enjoy every day.

The goal is to include at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week – performed during 3 to 5 daily sessions per week8. Build up toward this slowly by gradually adding new activity routines such as resistance training to your life that you enjoy and can sustain over time.

A certified fitness professional can help with an individual plan tailored to include exercises that work best for you and won’t put any undue stress on your health.

A balanced and calorie-controlled diet is an essential part of the management of obesity, although often it is not enough to suppo...
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Pharmacotherapy

Speak to a specialist to know more about the various pharmacotherapy options available in Singapore.
Speak to a specialist to know more about the various pharmacotherapy options available in Singapore.
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Bariatric Surgery

Generally speaking, these operations involve making changes to the digestive system to help a person lose weight by reducing appetite and the amount of food they can eat comfortably at one sitting.


Bariatric surgery is done when diet and exercise haven’t worked or to provide long term options to achieve and maintain significant weight loss for people who have serious health problems because of their weight.

As with all surgery, many considerations need to be given before undergoing surgery. A specialist will be able to talk you through the options.
Generally speaking, these operations involve making changes to the digestive system to help a person lose weight by reducing appet...
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References: 1. Whitlock G, Lewington S, Sherliker P, et al. Body-mass index and cause-specific mortality in 900 000 adults: collaborative analyses of 57 prospective studies. Lancet. 2009; 373:1083–1096. 2. Hebebrand J, Hinney A, Knoll N, Volckmar A-L, Scherag A. Molecular genetic aspects of weight regulation. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2013;110(19):338-344. 3. Scott I. Kahan, MD, MPH. Practical Strategies for Engaging Individuals With Obesity in Primary Care.Mayo Clin Proc. 2018;93(3):351-359 4. CDC, Cancers Associated with Overweight and Obesity Makeup 40 percent of Cancers Diagnosed in the United States. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1003-vs-cancer-obesity.html. Last accessed February 2021. 5. Durrer Schutz D., Busetto L, Dicker D, et al., European Practical and Patient-Centred Guidelines for Adult Obesity Management in Primary Care. Obesity Facts. 2019;12:40-66. doi: 10.1159/000496183. 6. Ard J, Fitch A, Fruh S, Herman L. Weight loss and maintenance related to the mechanism of action of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist. ADV Ther. 2021;38(6):2821-39. 7. Ryan DH, Yockey SR. Weight loss and improvement in comorbidity: differences at 5%, 10%, 15%, and over. Curr Obes Rep. 2017;6(2):187-94. 8.Aim for 150 minutes of physical activity every week. HealthHub. (n.d.). Retrieved February 15,2023, from https.//www/healthhub.sg/live-healthy/386/150minutes.

 

Disclosure: This is a disease awareness campaign in collaboration with Novo Nordisk. Please seek qualified medical advice in case of any medical query or emergency and do not attempt to self-medicate.