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Healthier SG: BMI Control (23 May 2023, Webinar 4)

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"Healthier SG: BMI Control (23 May 2023, Webinar 4)" is a webinar conducted by the College of Family Physicians Singapore. The speaker, Suraj Kumar, emphasized several key points in the webinar:

  1. Importance of Obesity Management: Obesity is a significant health problem. Primary care physicians play a crucial role in identifying and managing obesity. They are often the first to broach the topic with patients, which can be a sensitive issue.
  2. Understanding BMI: Body Mass Index (BMI) is a tool used to identify underweight or overweight individuals. It's designed for the age group of 18 to 65 and should be used with caution in certain groups such as pregnant women, muscular individuals, and those above 65.
  3. The 5A's Approach: The 5A's (Ask, Assess, Advise, Agree, Assist) is a patient-centered framework for obesity management. It's based on a strong therapeutic relationship between the doctor and the patient.
  4. Clinical Approach: The clinical approach to obesity includes clinical assessment, waist circumference measurement, understanding metabolic syndrome, and setting treatment goals.
  5. Management Framework: The management of obesity should include lifestyle therapy as the foundation, with medication and surgery as adjuncts. The management plan should be tailored to the individual and could include diet, exercise, behavior modification, and if necessary, medication and surgery.
  6. Medication and Surgery: Medication should not be used for cosmetic reasons and should be used as an adjunct to lifestyle modification. Bariatric surgery is reserved for the severely obese and is usually considered after other methods have failed.
  7. Data Submission: For each patient, data including height, weight, BMI, and date should be submitted. Waist circumference is not compulsory but is an important parameter to measure if possible.
  8. Holistic Management: Obesity management should be holistic, treating it as a disease with care, empathy, good communication, and judicious management.