Senior Consultant Surgeon & Deputy Head of Surgery at SKH. Leads Upper GI & Bariatric Service. Fellow of RCS Edinburgh & Glasgow and World Obesity Federation. PhD in Biomedical Engineering. Expert in surgical innovation and obesity treatment.
Understanding Obesity
Clinician's Perspective: Managing obesity and excess weight has evolved far beyond the traditional "eat less, move more" advice. Today, healthcare frameworks recognize obesity as a complex, chronic condition requiring a spectrum of interventions—ranging from behavioural changes to advanced surgical procedures. Choosing the right path depends
Lifestyle & Wellness
Clinician's Perspective: • During the menopause transition, the Basal Metabolic Rate (the energy expended by the body at rest) decreases by approximately 250 to 300 kcal per day. In essence, the body burns less energy, hence lowering caloric intake is essential to prevent weight gain. • The decline in estrogen
Understanding Obesity
Clinician's Perspective: • Dyslipidemia is an imbalance of lipids in the bloodstream, characterized by high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high triglycerides. Dyslipidemia increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. • 60% to 70% of individuals with obesity have dyslipidemia (abnormal blood lipid levels). • For every 1kg of weight
Pharmacotherapy
Clinician's Perspective: • Users of GLP-1 receptor agonists may experience a three-fold higher risk of hair, however, the overall incidence is still very low. • Research into Semaglutide reveals that hair loss is rarely reported at the lower doses (0.25mg to 2mg) typically used for diabetes, but
Pharmacotherapy
Clinician's Perspective: • In Singapore, it is estimated that 12.7% of the population has a BMI of 30 or higher, a significant 22.8% of residents fall into the high-risk category (BMI ≥27.5) due to the higher risk of cardiovascular disease in Asian populations. • Healthy diet
Bariatric Surgery
Clinician's Perspective: • Hair loss is a common occurrence, affecting approximately 57% (nearly 6 in 10) of patients following metabolic and bariatric surgery. Most of the time, it is not severe. • Hair loss is often temporary; the incidence rate drops from 58% in the first year to 35% after
Understanding Obesity
Clinician's Perspective: • Obesity increases the risk of developing osteoarthritis. The incident of knee osteoarthritis (knee joint decay) is increased by 1.3 to 6.0 times, making it the most susceptible joint in the body. • Osteoarthritis is not merely a "wear and tear" mechanical disease but
Bariatric Surgery
Clinician's Perspective: • Metabolic Bariatric Surgery in Singapore is recognized as a vital and effective treatment for patients with obesity and associated ill health. • It is a Medical Necessity, Not Cosmetic: Surgery is only subsidized and insurance-claimable if you meet strict clinical criteria. It is important to note
Understanding Obesity
Clinician's Perspective: • Resistance training is a form of physical exercise where you move your limbs or body against resistance provided by your own body weight, gravity, bands, or weighted equipment (like dumbbells or machines). • Integrating resistance exercise with caloric restriction fundamentally shifts the body's metabolic priority
Understanding Obesity
Clinician's Perspective: • The 150-Minute Threshold: Data from over 6,800 participants reveals that while any exercise helps, a minimum of 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity is required to achieve clinically important reductions in waist size and body fat. • Linear dose-response (the relationship
Understanding Obesity
Clinician's Perspective: • Circadian rhythm is the term used to describe our bodies' relationship with the day cycle. • Biological Synchronization: Every cell in the body contains an autonomous molecular clock that orchestrates gene expression to ensure that Lipogenesis (the metabolic process of fat formation) and energy processing coincide
Understanding Obesity
Clinician's Perspective: • During Intermittent Fasting (IF), a person's dietary pattern will cycle between periods of eating and fasting. The four main styles are: Time-Restricted Eating (TRE), The 5:2 Diet, Modified Alternate-Day Fasting (MADF), and Alternate-Day Fasting (ADF). • Evidence reveals that Intermittent Fasting