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
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: • 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
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
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
Understanding Obesity
Clinician's Perspective: What can't be changed (non-modifiable risks) • Genetic Predisposition: Research indicates that 40% to 70% of the variation in Body Mass Index (BMI) is attributable to genetic factors, rather than lifestyle choices alone. • Time in the Womb: The intrauterine environment (the environment inside the
Understanding Obesity
Clinician's Perspective: • Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is common amongst people with Obesity, however, OSA frequently occurs in non-obese individuals as well. • OSA is primarily driven by how the anatomy or shape of one's upper airway impairs air flow into the lungs. • Bariatric Surgery (weight-loss
Understanding Obesity
Clinician's Perspective: • Insulin Resistance: 95% of patients with obesity and PCOS exhibit Insulin Resistance (a condition where cells fail to respond effectively to insulin), compared to 75% in lean patients. • Visceral Adiposity: Excessive internal belly fat is identified as the primary driver of metabolic dysfunction because it contains
Understanding Obesity
Clinician's Perspective: • Sarcopenic Obesity (SO) is when Sarcopenia (the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength) and Obesity (excessive accumulation of body fat or adiposity) occur at the same time. • Data indicates that individuals over 60 years of age in the Asia-Pacific region are at