How to lose belly fat and why our waist circumference is important to our health.

Our waist circumference can indicate our health risk because the wider our waist circumference, the more excess fat is around our waist.  According to the Heart & Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Diabetes Association 2013 Clinical Practice Guidelines,

a waist circumference of 102 cm (40 inches) or more in men, or
a waist circumference of 88 cm (35 inches) or more in women, is associated with health problems such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Specifically for Chinese patients, the target is even lower:

a waist circumference of 90cm (36 inches) or more in Chinese men, or
a waist circumference of 80cm (32inches) or more in Chinese women

is associated with health problems such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Many people mistakenly use the smallest part of the abdomen as the location to measure waist circumference.  The instructions from the Heart & Stroke Foundation specifies that we should use the top of our hip bone to align the bottom edge of the measuring tape when we do a measurement of waist circumference. Furthermore, the Heart & Stroke Foundation has a video to show you how to do a proper waist circumference measurement. You can click on the following link to see the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__ZEebzObWs&feature=player_embedded

Most people already know that weight loss can be achieved through exercise and diet modifications. Eating healthy and watching portion sizes, along with regular exercise are lifestyle changes that will help you obtain a healthy weight for long term. Getting started is often difficult and maintaining the changes in lifestyle is even more challenging. 

This is the reason why Custom Care Pharmacy is bringing in Ideal Protein, a medically designed weight loss protocol, to help patients lose body fat while maintaining muscle mass.

The Ideal Protein Weight Loss Method contains 2 key components:

The first part is to help patients with weight loss, reducing excessive body fats

The second part is provide the patient with a healthier lifestyle education to assist them in maintaining their results.




Custom Care Pharmacy will provide you with one-to-one consultations through each phase of the weight loss protocol.

If you are interested in trying this program, call us at 905-305-0111 now to register for follow up information. The first 20 people to register will receive a $50 discount towards the weight loss program!

Are there prescription drug treatment for weight loss?

In terms of drug treatment, the only prescription medication that is available for weight loss is orlistat (Xenical®). Previous medications for weight loss, including diethylpropion (Tenuate®) and sibutramine (Meridia®), are no longer available in Canada.

Orlistat reduces the absorption of fat by about 30% in the intestine. It is approved for use in combination with antidiabetic medications (sulfonylureas, metformin, insulin).


The most frequent side effects of orlistat are related to gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, oily bowel movement, gas with leaky bowel movements, sudden urge to have a bowel movement, increased number of bowel movements. The risk for these side effects is higher if any single meal has a very high fat content.

Orlistat is not for everyone and it needs to be prescribed by your doctor.  It is not covered by ODB and the drug cost can be expensive.

For more information on weight loss and treatment options, contact our pharmacist at Custom Care Pharmacy 905-305-0111