Gallstones
Hardened deposits of digestive fluid that form in the gallbladder — obesity and rapid weight loss both increase the risk.
Plain English
Patient-Friendly Explanation
Gallstones are small, hard deposits that form in your gallbladder, the small organ under your liver that stores bile to help digest fats. Being overweight increases your risk of developing gallstones, and ironically, losing weight very quickly can also trigger them. Symptoms include sudden pain in the upper right abdomen, especially after eating fatty meals.
Medical
Clinical Definition
Gallstones (cholelithiasis) are crystalline concretions formed in the gallbladder, typically composed of cholesterol (80% of cases in Western populations) or bilirubin (pigment stones). Obesity promotes cholesterol gallstone formation through increased hepatic cholesterol secretion, bile supersaturation, and gallbladder hypomotility. Conversely, rapid weight loss — particularly after bariatric surgery or very-low-calorie diets — also increases risk, as mobilised cholesterol from adipose tissue floods the biliary system.
Key Insight
Why It Matters
In a weight management programme like Dr Joseph Wang's, understanding gallstone risk helps guide safe weight loss strategies. Gradual weight loss, adequate dietary fat intake, and ursodeoxycholic acid prophylaxis in high-risk bariatric patients can prevent gallstone formation while achieving meaningful weight reduction.
Sources
Reviewed against standard medical references.
Medically reviewed by
Family Physician & Registered Acupuncturist, Accord Medical Clinic. MBBS (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Acupuncture (Singapore College of TCM).
Last reviewed: August 2026
This page is general health education, not medical advice. Whether any treatment is appropriate for you is a decision made in consultation after assessment.