S1E140: Health risks in young 'healthy-weight' women

Sep 2, 2025

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You can appear lean but have insufficient muscle mass and too much body fat.

Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.

A local paper has found that 1 in 4 young women, despite having a normal weight, had low muscle mass, weak bones and high body fat. This increases their future risks for not only osteoporosis and muscle loss but metabolic diseases like diabetes and obesity.

ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo speaks to the paper’s authors to find out more.

Lead author Dr Mya Thway Tint is a principal scientist at the A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (IHDP) and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Dean's Office, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.

Professor Johan Eriksson is the Executive Director of A*STAR IHDP and highly knowledgeable about the S-PRESTO study, or the Singapore Preconception Study of Long-Term Maternal and Child Outcomes cohort study, which the paper is part of.

He was previously a professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, and the chief physician at Helsinki University Central Hospital in Finland.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:50 Having a normal BMI and low bone density

5:03 You have to exercise to grow bone

10:29 Using bioimpedance or bioelectrical impedance analysis to measure body composition

13:53 What is considered an unhealthy body fat percentage level?

19:56 What can we do to improve our bone health?

Check out ST's new series, No health without mental health: https://str.sg/mentalhealthmatters

Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN

Host: Joyce Teo (joyceteo@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Amirul Karim

Executive producers: Ernest Luis and Lynda Hong

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