"Worried about weight gain and sweat odor"... 66-year-old Jo Gang-hee faces sleep apnea and diabetes

The daily life of 66-year-old Jo Gang-hee, who is facing complex health problems such as sleep apnea and diabetes due to rapid weight gain, has been revealed. According to a video from TV CHOSUN LIFE, Jo Gang-hee is spending lethargic days suffering from sleep apnea, where fatigue is not relieved even after sleeping all night due to increased weight. Due to the lack of oxygen continuing throughout the night, Jo Gang-hee's daily life has led to a struggle with headaches.

Health red signals caused by 18kg weight gain

Jo Gang-hee previously maintained a weight in the 50kg range, but due to changes in eating habits after middle age, her weight increased by about 18kg, reaching 62kg (obese based on 153cm). She stated that a diet centered on carbohydrates and greasy foods was the cause, and although she had successfully lost 10kg in the past, she experienced the yo-yo effect, making weight management difficult. Jo Gang-hee explained that she gained weight because she likes carbohydrates such as white rice, bread, and rice cakes, and eats a lot of greasy food. The increased weight led to knee pain and depression, and she is also accompanied by complications such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and fatty liver, with fasting blood sugar reaching 169mg/dL. During a health checkup three years ago, she recorded high levels, with fasting blood sugar at 180 and postprandial blood sugar fluctuating between 300 and 400.

Sweat odor confirmed by numbers and dietary restrictions

Another concern Jo Gang-hee faces along with weight gain is sweat odor. Jo Gang-hee reported experiencing psychological shrinking, such as frequently checking the smell of her clothes due to sweat odor in the summer or feeling embarrassed when taking off her shoes at a restaurant. In the measurement results shown in the video, the sweat odor level, which was normally 446, soared to 1,802 after light exercise, significantly exceeding the measurement limit. Jo Gang-hee mentioned that she feels the sweat odor is stronger because excretion is not smooth as her intestinal health has worsened. Currently, Jo Gang-hee is taking prescribed medication for diabetes, fatty liver, and hyperlipidemia, and is maintaining a vegetable-oriented diet while refraining from sweet and greasy foods for her health. However, she appears to have lost the joys of daily life to the point where she feels guilt even while eating.

Repeated yo-yo effect and the danger of visceral fat

The video also covered the dangers of the yo-yo effect experienced by Jo Gang-hee. If the yo-yo effect is repeated, the proportion of visceral fat among body fat increases. It was presented that visceral fat accumulates between organs and threatens health, and research results also showed that if the range of weight change is large, the mortality rate can increase. As a result of classifying adult men and women aged 40 and older into five groups according to the range of weight change, the group with the largest weight change was found to have an overall mortality rate that was 33% higher. In particular, repeated weight changes were identified as a major cause that worsens vascular health and increases the risk of diabetes and its complications.