Medical Weight Management Programme

Medical Weight Management at our Joo Chiat clinic

A structured 6-month programme with Dr Kenneth Tan — Family Medicine Specialist — for adults whose weight is affecting their metabolic health. This service is offered at our Joo Chiat clinic (by appointment only) as a formal programme rather than as episodic visits.

It is designed around the observation that obesity is a chronic medical condition that interacts with diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, fatty liver, sleep apnoea, and cardiovascular risk — and is best managed in the context of all those conditions together, by a single doctor, over time. See our Medical Weight Management guide for the clinical framework, and our Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic (CKM) guide for how these conditions link together.

Why choose a Family Medicine Specialist for weight management

Your weight does not exist in isolation. It affects your blood sugar, your blood pressure, your lipid profile, your kidney function, your liver, your sleep, and your cardiovascular risk. A Family Medicine Specialist is structurally better placed than a single-organ specialist to manage weight well because:

• Whole-body view. We manage your weight, your diabetes, your blood pressure, and your cholesterol at the same visits — not across three separate clinics.
• Continuity of care. Same doctor throughout the 6-month programme (and beyond). We remember what medications you have tried, what side effects you experienced, and what your goals are.
• Medication expertise across classes. We prescribe and manage GLP-1 receptor agonists (semaglutide / Wegovy, liraglutide / Saxenda), dual-agonist tirzepatide (Mounjaro), orlistat, and other licensed weight medications. We also manage their interactions with your diabetes, blood pressure, and other medications.
• In-house dispensing. The medications we prescribe are dispensed at the clinic. We handle dose titration, side-effect management, and ongoing supply.
• Appropriate referral when needed. For patients with severe obesity considering bariatric surgery, specialist allergic/endocrine work-up, or complex metabolic conditions requiring specialist intervention, we coordinate referral with the right letter.
• Singapore-relevant. We use Asian BMI and waist-circumference thresholds per MOH guidance (BMI ≥ 27.5 for obesity, ≥ 23 with comorbidities for action). We discuss Healthier SG, MediSave, and CHAS implications alongside the medical plan.

Who this programme is for

You may be a good fit for the Medical Weight Management Programme if you:

• Have a BMI ≥ 27.5 (Asian obesity threshold), or
• Have a BMI 23 – 27.4 with weight-related conditions — type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, high blood pressure, dyslipidaemia, metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD), obstructive sleep apnoea, polycystic ovary syndrome, gestational diabetes history, or established cardiovascular disease
• Have tried lifestyle change alone without achieving target, or
• Are already on a weight medication (GLP-1, orlistat) and want structured, medically-supervised ongoing care rather than episodic prescribing

The programme is not suited to:

• Adults with eating disorders (these are specialist-managed; we can refer)
• Patients seeking weight loss at already-healthy weight for cosmetic reasons only
• Patients who are pregnant, planning imminent pregnancy, or breastfeeding (most weight-management medications are contraindicated)
• Patients with certain cancers or severe psychiatric conditions where weight medications may be inappropriate

We assess fit at the initial consultation. If the programme is not the right option for you, we will say so directly and discuss alternatives.

The programme structure

Initial Assessment Visit (60 minutes) — $250

A full medical, metabolic, and lifestyle assessment, including:

• Medical history — current conditions, medications, family history, previous weight-management efforts, eating patterns, sleep, mental health, exercise history
• Physical examination — height, weight, BMI, waist circumference, body composition (if BIA available), blood pressure, cardiovascular examination
• Baseline laboratory work-up — typically HbA1c, fasting lipids, kidney function (eGFR + UACR), liver enzymes (ALT/AST/GGT), thyroid function (TSH), vitamin D, glucose. We order these if you don’t have recent results; we review recent results if you do.
• Contraindication screen — checking for medullary thyroid cancer history, family history of MEN2, pancreatitis history, severe gastrointestinal disease, and other conditions relevant to GLP-1 and other weight medications
• Treatment plan — discussion of realistic goals (5–10% weight reduction over 6–12 months is a reasonable first-phase target, with some patients achieving more on the newer medications), medication options with their evidence base, expected side effects, costs, and alternatives including non-medication pathways
• Written plan — sent to you after the visit, including medication regime, dose titration schedule, follow-up appointments, lifestyle goals, and red-flag symptoms to watch for

Monthly Follow-up Visits (20–30 minutes) — $120 each

Typically 5 follow-up visits over the 6-month programme, at monthly intervals:

• Weight and waist tracking
• Dose titration — GLP-1 medications require gradual dose increase over 3–5 months; we manage this in-clinic
• Side-effect management — nausea, constipation, heartburn, occasional vomiting; most resolve with titration pacing and dietary adjustment
• Lifestyle review — food pattern, physical activity, sleep, stress, alcohol
• Lab monitoring — repeat labs at Month 3 and Month 6 to track metabolic improvement (HbA1c, lipids, liver function, kidney function)
• Medication supply — we dispense at the visit; prescriptions synchronised to your visit schedule

Between-Visit Support

• SMS / WhatsApp channel for programme patients — for side-effect queries, dose-adjustment questions, and urgent advice (response within 24 hours business day; same-day for urgent)
• Direct escalation pathway to Punggol clinic for same-day urgent issues; to A&E via 995 for emergencies
• Optional weigh-in at any KTMC clinic between scheduled visits if you want a reading (no charge)

Month 6 Review (45 minutes) — $180

• Comprehensive reassessment of progress against goals
• Decision on next phase: maintenance programme (lower-frequency follow-ups), step-down from medication, continued active treatment, or referral for bariatric assessment if appropriate
• Updated written plan for the next 6 months

Maintenance Phase (Month 7 onwards)

For patients who have reached target and want ongoing monitoring:

• Follow-up visits every 3–6 months at the standard Extended Consultation rate
• Annual comprehensive review
• Continued medication supply and adjustment

Fees and programme options

Option 1 — Pay-as-you-go

Option 2 — Programme bundle (preferred)

The bundle is slightly above the pay-as-you-go total (~$170 premium) because it includes committed SMS/WhatsApp support, coordinated lab-reminder scheduling, and programme materials. Most patients prefer the predictability of the bundle.

Medication costs (separate from consultation fees)

Medications are dispensed at the clinic and billed separately. Indicative monthly costs:

Actual costs depend on current dose, supplier pricing, and availability. We will be direct about cost at each visit, and will discuss lower-cost alternatives (orlistat, lifestyle-only) where appropriate.

Subsidies

• MediSave is not claimable for weight-indicated consultations or medications. It may be claimable where the patient also has diabetes and the treatment is jointly for diabetes management (we’ll discuss at the visit).
• CHAS subsidies are similarly not generally available for weight-indicated services.
• Private insurance — some corporate health schemes and specific insurance plans cover weight management; bring your policy details and we can advise.

We will be transparent about cost throughout the programme. If cost becomes a barrier mid-programme, we will discuss modification rather than simply continuing to prescribe.

What makes this different from other weight-management services

• Not a GP one-off. The 6-month programme format and committed follow-up are genuinely different from a brief “give me a script for Wegovy” visit.
• Not a one-off specialist consult. Hospital endocrinologists typically see a patient once, prescribe, and schedule 3-month follow-up. We see you monthly with continuous access in between.
• Not an aesthetic weight-loss clinic. We treat weight as a medical condition within a family medicine practice. No before/after photography. No “transformation” marketing. No supplement-stacks.
• Not a meal-replacement or supplement programme. We do not sell meal replacements. We do not sell supplements.
• In-house medication dispensing. Prescription, dispensing, and dose management are in one place — not bounced between a clinician and a separate pharmacy.

How to enrol

1. Book an Initial Assessment Visit at the Joo Chiat clinic — online via the booking link below or call 6920 1952.
2. Receive pre-visit preparation — a short intake form and advice on what to bring (recent lab results, medication list, specific goals).
3. Initial Assessment — 60-minute structured visit, treatment plan discussion, decision on programme entry.
4. Programme commencement — medication initiation (if agreed), first follow-up scheduled, SMS/WhatsApp access channel activated.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a weight loss “guarantee”? No. No honest medical practitioner guarantees weight loss. What the evidence supports is that well-run programmes combining medication and lifestyle intervention produce clinically meaningful weight reduction in most patients. Typical outcomes with GLP-1 medications are 10–17% weight reduction at 12 months; with tirzepatide somewhat more. Individual responses vary.

What happens if the medication doesn’t suit me? We adjust the dose, try a different agent in the same class, or switch to an alternative. The 6-month programme structure allows us to work through this together rather than have you stop treatment after one bad week.

Do I have to stay on medication forever? Not necessarily. The honest answer is that most patients who stop GLP-1 medications regain a substantial portion of lost weight over 12–18 months — because the underlying biology reverts. Some patients maintain through sustained lifestyle change alone; many continue lower-dose maintenance. We discuss options at Month 6.

Can I do this through my Punggol visits with Dr Kenneth instead? Standard 10-minute Punggol visits are not structured for the programme format required for responsible weight management medication. We keep the programme at Joo Chiat to ensure the 60-minute initial and 20–30 minute follow-ups are properly resourced. Your existing Punggol relationship with us continues normally for your other health needs.

What if I am a patient elsewhere — can I transfer my weight management to KTMC? Yes. Bring your existing treatment records, and we’ll do a full reassessment at the Initial Visit. There is no obligation to transfer other care.

What about children / adolescents? This programme is designed for adults (18+). Paediatric obesity is specialist-managed; we can refer.

Get in touch

Joo Chiat (Medical Weight Management — by appointment) — 172 Joo Chiat Road, #01-01, Singapore 427443 · Tel 6920 1952

Punggol (general family medicine) — 658 Punggol East, #01-04, Singapore 820658 · Tel 6312 4589

Email — admin@ktmc.sg