Women’s Weight Tied to Healthy Aging

Fitting into your high school jeans may make you the most envied person at your 10-year reunion — and one of the healthiest at your 25th. According to a new US study, reported in Shape magazine, women who weighed the same at age 55 as they did at 18 were 82 percent less likely to develop chronic illness or disease — including cancer, diabetes, depression and heart disease — than those who put on 10kg or more.

“Gaining even a few kilos can take a toll on the body,” says Qi Sun, the study’s lead researcher. To help thwart weight gain, he recommends stepping on a scale weekly: people who do so are more likely to shed kilos or maintain their weight.