Dear Editor, People with obesity contend with obesity-related stigmas, in addition to health complications.1 In contrast to the West, literature documenting the prevalence of such stigmas in Asia is sparse. We report the prevalence of perceived weight-based stigmatisation in Singapore. An anonymised questionnaire was administered to 101 consecutive patients presenting to...

Obesity is one of the most common health problems in Singapore with escalating prevalence, affecting about 6% of the Singapore population above 18 years of age. The prevalence of obesity is 12.2% in Singapore children aged 6 to 7 years, 12.8% in children aged 11 to 12 years, and...

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in developed countries, especially among the elderly. In Taiwan, cardiovascular disease is the third leading cause of death after neoplasm and cerebrovascular disease. This article is available only as a PDF. Please click on “Download PDF” on top...

Obesity is considered a chronic disease and not just a social stigma due to the associated morbidity and early mortality. Obesity has now become an epidemic with increasing prevalence in most parts of the world. This article is available only as a PDF. Please click on “Download PDF” on top...

There have been multiple reports of accidental subdural blocks published in the last 20 years. Majority of these have been the result of an epidural gone astray, and the lowest reported volume of local anaesthetic used was 3.5 mL. This article is available only as a PDF. Please click on...

In the present pandemic of diabetes and obesity, 60% of the affected population will come from Asia. Between India and China, these two most populous nations will contribute more than 100 million to the world’s population of people with diabetes, many of whom remain undiagnosed, untreated or suboptimally managed. This...

The metabolic syndrome (MS) is characterised by a clustering of metabolic risk factors and an insulin-resistant state.1 Its prevalence is high in Western, as well as Asian, populations.2-4 There are numerous correlations between the MS and hypertension, although this is not always the case.5 Resistance to insulin-mediated glucose disposal...

Atherothrombosis is a global problem that affects every ethnic group. It can lead to ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction or vascular death. This article is available only as a PDF. Please click on “Download PDF” on top to view the full article.

Multiple factors contribute to the genesis and maintenance of obesity which is a difficult condition to treat and weight loss is often not maintained. The psychological problems found in obese patients have recently received increasing attention. This article is available only as a PDF. Please click on “Download PDF” on...

Obesity is a global pandemic and a major health concern because of the consequent morbidity and premature mortality; obesity predisposes to serious morbidities such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and coronary heart disease. Industrialisation and modernisation is rightly blamed for the increasing obesity prevalence all over the world, as...

Metabolic syndrome describes a constellation of interrelated metabolic risk factors, in which components coexist more frequently in a given individual than could be expected by chance alone. These risk factors include hypertension, hyperglycaemia, dyslipidaemia and obesity. The underlying pathophysiology is as yet unclear, but has been closely linked to...

Obesity is one of the most common chronic illnesses in the Western World with a frequency of 10% to 15%. It causes or exacerbates many diseases and is associated with major physical and psychological disability. Data from US national population surveys have shown that the prevalence of being overweight...

Schizophrenia has been linked to metabolic disturbances such as obesity, dyslipidaemia and hyperglycaemia. It has also been associated with a more than 3-fold increase in mortality associated with cardiovascular causes. This increase in cardio-metabolic morbidity and mortality might be due to several factors such as inherent genetic vulnerability or...

The increasing prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity and its associated adverse health outcomes have become an important health issue. Childhood obesity can persist into adulthood and increases the risk of cardiovascular metabolic diseases, giving rise to an increased healthcare burden. In Singapore, the prevalence of obesity for adults...

Malnutrition is well described in liver cirrhosis. The hyperdynamic circulation and altered metabolism in cirrhosis result in a hypercatabolic state which accelerates tissue breakdown. Ascites and gastrointestinal dysmotility in advanced cirrhosis, compounded by the need for dietary restrictions, often result in early satiety and anorexia. Inevitably, liver transplant wait-list...