Investing in health: Small habits for a lifetime of returns
Experts say improving one’s healthspan by focusing on metabolic health must start long before illness strikes
Evan See
Published Thu, Oct 22, 2026 · 07:00 AM
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- From left: BT’s Dylan Tan; Dr Sue-Anne Toh of Novi Health; Prof Roger Foo from Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine; and Yeoh Keat Chuan of Temasek International. PHOTO: TAY CHU YI, BT
[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
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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, 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.”
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