Weight Loss

At Prudence Family Clinic, we recognise that there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to achieve healthy and sustainable weight loss.

We believe in a holistic approach to weight management, working with each patient to develop a tailored plan combining sensible diet changes, gradual increase in regular physical exercise and sometimes, medications to help achieve his or her target weight.

We carry a number of medications which may help in weight management :-

Orlistat ( Xenical ) reduces the amount of fat our body absorbs from the diet. It is generally safe for long term use but side effects like abdominal bloating and gas, diarrhoea and leakage of oily stool may occur. Patients taking Orlistat are encouraged to minimize the fat in their diet, which also helps to reduce the risk of the side effects mentioned earlier.

Phentermine ( Duromine or Panbesy ) is an appetite suppressant which works centrally ( in the brain ). It should not be used continuously for more than 3 months and the risk of ‘rebound’ weight gain is high when the medications are stopped, if the patient does not maintain diet changes and increase the level of physical exercise.

There is a newer class of medications that are increasingly being used to help patients with weight loss. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists were initially designed for use in patients with diabetes to help achieve blood sugar control. They were noted to induce weight loss in diabetics ( and subsequently in non-diabetics ) by increasing the sense of fullness and reducing hunger, thereby helping patients to eat less and curb food cravings. Liraglutide ( Saxenda ) is given by injection once a day and is currently the only GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for weight loss in non-diabetics in Singapore. Semaglutide 2.4mg ( Wegovy ) is currently approved in the US and UK for weight loss and is given by injection once a week. It has been shown in studies to achieve about 15% weight loss when combined with lifestyle modifications but is currently not available in Singapore.

If you would like us to help you in your weight management journey, feel free to walk-in during our <opening hours> or make an appointment by calling 6251 5512 or SMS/WhatsApp 9662 5512.