Your health risks
Blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, liver health and family history, where relevant, so the plan starts from your actual risks.
Weight management · Singapore
Medical weight management, planned with a doctor.
A doctor looks at what affects your weight, from sleep and stress to medicines and hormones, and plans realistic changes with you. Prescription medicine is considered only if it suits you.
What is medical weight management?
Weight is a health pattern, not a willpower test.
Medical weight management is a doctor-led plan for your weight and the health risks linked to it. It starts with an assessment of your history, eating, activity, sleep, stress, medicines and hormones, then sets realistic goals, with follow-up and, only if suitable, prescription medicine or a referral.
Excess weight raises the risk of heart disease, raised cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and certain cancers. Progress is not only the number on the scale: better energy, fitness, sleep, blood pressure and blood sugar count too.
- Individual — goals follow your health, history and preferences
- Beyond BMI — waist, blood pressure and blood tests add context
- Lifestyle first — medicine only after a medical assessment
- Long-term — a plan for plateaus and maintenance
What the assessment covers
What does a doctor look at?
BMI is a screening measure, not a diagnosis. Your doctor also looks at your waist, blood pressure and, where useful, blood tests, at the reasons change has been hard, such as sleep, stress, medicines, hormones or life stage, and whether prescription medicine would suit you.
The reasons behind it
Sleep, stress, eating patterns, activity, alcohol, hormones and life stage, such as menopause. Some medical conditions and some medicines, such as certain antidepressants, can also contribute to weight gain.
Energy, mood and mobility
Energy, mobility, pain, mood, eating patterns and quality of life, and which changes matter most to you.
Whether semaglutide suits you
Semaglutide is a prescription-only medicine. Your doctor considers it only after this assessment, when it is suitable for you and the expected benefits outweigh the risks, and always alongside changes to eating and activity, with follow-up reviews.
Who it's for
Is medical weight management for me?
It may suit you if your weight is affecting your health, or if changes you have tried haven't lasted. Your doctor starts with what matters most to you.
Medicines are prescribed only after a doctor's assessment.
-
Weight-related health risks
High blood pressure, raised cholesterol, diabetes or a family history of heart disease.
-
Weight that keeps coming back
After weight loss, hunger hormones rise and the body burns fewer calories, so maintenance is part of the plan.
-
Menopause and midlife
Menopause is one of the life stages that can affect weight, and your doctor takes it into account.
-
Medicines that affect weight
Some medicines, such as certain antidepressants, can contribute to weight gain. Don't stop them on your own; ask the doctor who prescribed them.
-
Toning or contouring instead?
Body toning and contouring are aesthetic treatments, not weight-loss treatments.
Your plan, step by step
Assess. Prioritise. Support. Maintain.
-
Assess
Your doctor reviews your weight history, health risks, symptoms, medicines and what you have tried before.
-
Prioritise
Together you choose a few realistic changes to eating, activity, sleep or routine, and set goals within a realistic time frame.
-
Support
Follow-up reviews look at your health, any side effects and what is getting in the way. Prescription medicine or a referral is considered only when suitable.
-
Maintain
Plan ahead for plateaus, travel, stress and changes in treatment, including what happens if a medicine is reduced or stopped.
Good to know
Lifestyle comes first. Medicine is an option only after a doctor's assessment.
Never borrow weight-loss medicines or buy them without medical supervision. Don't stop a long-term medicine because of weight concerns; talk to the doctor who prescribed it.
Weight Management: frequently asked questions
Where can I get medical weight management in Singapore?
Fusion Medical offers doctor-led weight management at Wheelock Place, 501 Orchard Road. The consultation covers your weight history, health risks and what affects your weight, and the plan focuses on realistic changes to eating and activity, with follow-up reviews and, only if suitable, prescription medicine or a referral.
Is BMI enough to decide whether I need treatment?
No. BMI is a screening measure. In Singapore, MOH guidelines use a BMI of 27.5 or more to define obesity in Asian adults, lower than the cut-off of 30 used for Caucasian populations, because health risks start to rise at a lower BMI. Your waist size, blood pressure, blood tests, symptoms and medical history add important context.
Why is it hard to keep weight off?
When you lose weight, your body responds: levels of ghrelin, a hunger hormone, rise and fullness hormones fall, so you feel hungrier, and your body burns fewer calories. That is why lost weight can slowly return, and why a plan for maintenance is part of treatment from the start.
Can a doctor prescribe semaglutide for weight management?
Yes, when it is suitable for you. Semaglutide is a prescription-only medicine, and HSA has registered a semaglutide injection for weight management in people who meet set criteria, used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity. At Fusion Medical, a doctor prescribes it only after assessing your health, and only when the expected benefits outweigh the risks. Your doctor explains possible side effects, reasons it may not suit you, cost and the longer-term plan, with follow-up reviews. It is not suitable for everyone.
Will I need blood tests?
Only when your history and examination suggest they are useful. Tests may include blood sugar, cholesterol, liver or thyroid markers, or other investigations chosen for you.
How much physical activity is recommended?
Singapore's HealthHub recommends working towards at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, with muscle-strengthening activity on two days, adapted to your health and current fitness. Your doctor can help you choose a starting point that suits you.
What if my weight plateaus?
Plateaus are common. At follow-up, your doctor looks at eating, activity, sleep, stress, medicines and how the plan fits your routine, and whether your goal or treatment needs adjusting.
What are the side effects of semaglutide?
HealthHub lists nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea as common side effects, along with tiredness, headache, a runny nose, and bruising or pain at the injection site. Stop it and seek medical attention immediately for swelling of the face or lips, difficulty breathing, severe stomach pain, yellowing of the skin, changes in eyesight, a lump in the neck or thoughts of self-harm. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, or have type 1 diabetes, past pancreatitis, thyroid cancer or a family history of it, depression, or heart, kidney, liver, stomach or bowel problems.
Our doctors
A plan made with a doctor, and reviewed over time.
Appointments
Talk to a doctor about your weight.
Book a consultation at Wheelock Place to review your health risks and plan realistic next steps.