Investing in health: Small habits for a lifetime of returns

[SINGAPORE] Busy professionals may spend years building their careers and growing their wealth, but investing in their health deserves just as much attention.

Much like for financial investments, the benefits of healthy habits can compound over time, helping people not merely live longer, but also remain active and independent well into old age.

This was the message from Healthspan: The Longevity Challenge, a panel discussion organised by The Business Times and specialist medical clinic Novi Health on Monday (Oct 19).

Moderated by BT’s editorial projects editor Dylan Tan, the discussion centred on the need to raise awareness of metabolic health, or the body’s ability to store and process energy for daily functions.

Dr Sue-Anne Toh, CEO of Novi Health, noted that this is important given that some early signals of metabolic dysfunction can be difficult to spot early – particularly in Asian populations.

She said that, unlike other ethnic groups, Asians tend to store excess fat in ways that are sometimes hidden – as visceral fat or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, for instance.

High levels of these biomarkers can be a cause for concern before patients reach the “overweight” or “obese” ranges in standard clinical markers such as the body mass index.

Professor Roger Foo, vice-dean of research at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore, revealed similar preliminary findings from Project Reset, a research initiative examining cardiovascular and metabolic health in Singapore.

About 20 per cent of lean participants studied had poor metabolic health despite having normal body measurements, he noted.

Dr Toh added: “When it goes wrong, (poor metabolic health) can manifest as high blood sugar, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.”

She said that these conditions are often precursors to common diseases including heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, eye disease and more than half of cancers.

How changing habits can lower risks

These risks, however, can be significantly reduced through lifestyle changes.

“It’s never too early to start, (and) also never too late,” said Prof Foo.

For many career professionals, finding the time to balance a busy schedule with a healthy diet and exercise routine can be challenging, the panellists acknowledged.

Yeoh Keat Chuan, chief operating officer of Temasek International, recalled that he struggled with his weight in his late 20s, reaching up to 100 kilograms at one point.

Although he repeatedly succeeded in losing weight, he would eventually gain the kilograms back. This came along with associated health problems such as hypertension, high cholesterol, fatty liver and elevated blood glucose.

“The wake-up point for me was about realising that I needed a sustainable path (and) practices that I can continue for the rest of my life,” said Yeoh.

Working with Novi Health, he adopted a more sustainable approach to managing his health five years ago, which largely prioritises three pillars of metabolic health: exercise, nutrition and sleep.

For Yeoh, this means regular badminton sessions, a carefully monitored diet without cheat meals, and habitually tracking his sleep using wearable devices.

Data-driven decisions

Yeoh told the audience that such wearable technology has offered him an abundance of data that helps him stick to his health habits.

This includes information on his sleep patterns, diet, resting heart rate and blood sugar levels, from wearables such as a smart watch and a continuous glucose monitor.

Dr Toh said such data can be useful in informing patients when their bodies are facing metabolic dysfunction, given its often “silent” signals.

Metrics such as sleep quality, heart-rate variability, body temperature and glucose levels can provide indicators that warn one’s body systems are falling out of balance, she said.

“But if you don’t look at (the data) or you don’t understand how to integrate it, then you may miss some of these signals.”

Dr Toh added that Novi Health’s approach involves combining clinical expertise with digital tools and health coaching to support patients in making sustainable changes.

“We do need expert clinicians to integrate that data, to give sound evidence-based advice and formulate a plan for people,” she noted.

For people who are just beginning their metabolic health journey, the panellists said small habits can make a large difference over time – even if the many aspects of one’s health can seem daunting at first.

“Good habits are an investment. It compounds, but bad habits also compound,” Yeoh pointed out.

He suggested: “Pick something that you want to improve, think about how you’re going to measure it, and focus on that for the next three to six months.”

Positive feedback from these measurements, he believes, can encourage people to continue and look at the next aspect of their health to improve.

For him, the ultimate goal is not simply to extend the number of years one lives, but also to make those years more fulfilling.

“Our life is a book, and lifespan is the number of pages in the book. Healthspan is the chapters that are vibrant and exciting.”