Weight-loss clinics in Singapore differ enormously in what they actually provide, and the differences are hard to see from a landing page. These nine questions are designed to be asked out loud, of anyone, including us. They are criteria rather than recommendations. Which providers are good is not a judgement any clinic should be making about its competitors, so this article does not make it. Each question comes with the reason it is worth asking.
Licensed healthcare service: a provider operating under the Healthcare Services Act. Telemedicine sits inside this framework as the remote provision of an Outpatient Medical Service.
1. Who assesses me, and are they registered here?
You want a named doctor registered with the Singapore Medical Council, not "our medical team". Registered doctors are publicly listed and can be looked up in a minute.
Why it matters: these medicines are Prescription Only in Singapore (HSA register). The assessment is not administrative friction; it is the mechanism by which someone finds out whether this medicine is a poor idea for you specifically.
2. Is the provider licensed, and how is the consultation delivered?
Telemedicine is licensed under the Healthcare Services Act 2020 as the remote provision of an Outpatient Medical Service, under the Healthcare Services (OMS) Regulations 2023 (MOH 2024).
Why it matters: a licensed provider is accountable to a regulator. An unlicensed one is accountable to nobody, and there is no meaningful difference in how the website looks.
3. Which product will I actually be dispensed?
Ask for the product, not the molecule. It should be one on HSA's register of therapeutic products.
Why it matters: registration means a manufacturer's quality, safety and manufacturing evidence was assessed. Anything unregistered — compounded, imported informally, repackaged — has been through none of that, and you cannot assess it yourself.
4. What exactly is in the price?
Consultation, medication, follow-up consultations, dose changes, delivery, and any test or scan. Ask what is not included.
Why it matters: a headline monthly figure may be quoted at one dose. Since the dose commonly changes over the first months, the useful comparison is the cost across the whole course rather than at the start.
5. How are dose changes handled, and by whom?
You want a clinician making that decision, with a way to reach them between appointments.
Why it matters: gastrointestinal reactions cluster at dose escalation (prescribing information), which is exactly when a clinician needs to be reachable. Dose changes are clinical decisions, so it is worth knowing who makes yours and how you reach them.
6. What happens if I get side effects?
Ask specifically who you contact, how fast they respond, and whether it costs anything.
Why it matters: most side effects are manageable and some need prompt attention. Knowing the contact route before you need it is the point of asking.
7. What is being done about muscle?
This one is asked less often than it should be, and it changes the result more than almost anything else.
Why it matters: in the SURMOUNT-1 body-composition sub-study, approximately 25% of the weight lost was lean mass — in the placebo arm as well as the drug arm (Look 2025). Across 114 trials and 4,184 people, lean mass was statistically unchanged where resistance training accompanied caloric restriction (Lopez 2022). Protein and training are a known and modifiable part of the outcome, so it is worth knowing what a programme does about them.
8. What is the plan for coming off?
Ask at the beginning, not at the end.
Why it matters: in the STEP 1 trial extension, participants regained about two-thirds of the weight they had lost within a year of stopping (Wilding 2022). What happens after treatment is therefore a large part of what you are buying.
Worth knowing, so you can judge the answer: no randomised trial has compared tapering a dose against stopping abruptly, so no taper schedule can be described as evidence-based. A useful answer sounds like a plan for what replaces the medication's effect.
9. What am I committing to?
Length, cancellation terms, and what happens to any prepayment if you stop or are found unsuitable.
Why it matters: you may be found unsuitable at assessment, or you may decide to stop. Neither should be financially punishing, and the terms are far easier to read before you sign than after.
Red flags, briefly
- Reaching checkout without a consultation.
- No named, registered doctor.
- Guaranteed results, or any specific number of kilograms promised.
- Pressure to buy a long package upfront.
- Nothing on muscle, protein or training.
- No answer to what happens when you stop.
- Any offer to supply a prescription-only medicine without a prescription.
That last one is worth taking seriously on its own — HSA has found illegal weight-loss products sold online in Singapore containing undeclared substances, including sibutramine, banned here since 2010 (HSA 2024). We cover that in grey-market GLP-1.
What a good answer sounds like
Specific, and comfortable with limits. An answer that names what is included, what costs extra, who you contact, what is done about muscle, and what is not known is more useful than one with no limits in it.
At GetLean, our philosophy is that the medication is the catalyst and what you keep is the result — which is why question 7 and question 8 are the two we would most want a prospective patient to ask, of us or of anyone else.
Individual circumstances vary. Whether treatment is appropriate for you is a decision for a doctor who has assessed you.
Common questions
What should you ask a weight-loss clinic before signing up?
Who assesses you and whether they are a Singapore-registered doctor; what is included in the price; how dose changes are handled; what happens if you get side effects; what is being done about muscle; and what the plan is for coming off.
How do you know a GLP-1 clinic is legitimate?
A named Singapore-registered doctor assesses you before anything is supplied, the provider is licensed under the Healthcare Services Act (MOH 2024), and the medication is a product on HSA's register (HSA register).
Should a weight-loss programme include more than medication?
The evidence supports it. Roughly 25% of weight lost in one trial sub-study was lean mass (Look 2025), and lean mass was statistically unchanged where resistance training accompanied the calorie deficit (Lopez 2022).
What is a red flag in a weight-loss clinic?
Reaching checkout without a consultation, an unnamed medical team, guaranteed results, pressure to prepay for long packages, nothing about muscle or training, and no answer about stopping.
Should I ask about coming off the medication?
Yes, and at the start. Participants in the STEP 1 extension regained about two-thirds of their lost weight within a year of stopping (Wilding 2022), so a provider's answer here is among the most consequential things they can tell you.