SINGAPORE – One in four healthy-weight Chinese women in Singapore who are in their 20s and 30s has low muscle mass combined with high body fat, and weaker bones, according to a local study.

This puts them at an elevated risk of developing not just musculoskeletal disorders like sarcopenia and osteoporosis, but also metabolic diseases such as diabetes.

These are risks that standard body-mass index (BMI) measurements cannot pick up. 

The findings are notable, given that Singapore has one of the highest prevalence of osteoporotic hip fractures in the world, the study’s authors said.

Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens bones, making them fragile and more likely to break. It typically develops over years and is often diagnosed when a fall or sudden impact causes a bone to break.

Apart from hip fractures, other common injuries in people with osteoporosis are broken wrists and spinal bones.

The prevalence of hip fractures is higher among women than men. They lose bone earlier and at a faster rate. Bone loss accelerates over time after different stages of a woman’s life, such as pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause, the authors added.

The research is part of the Singapore Preconception Study of Long-Term Maternal and Child Outcomes.

Published in April 2025 in

JBMR Plus

, a journal by the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, the study was led by researchers from the A*Star Institute for Human Development and Potential.

Two of the researchers – lead author Mya Thway Tint and senior author Johan Eriksson – discussed the study findings and what women can do about the hidden risks in a