We put three healthy-looking women through a comprehensive health MOT… and the results will surprise you
According to recent research, over half of Brits believe that if you look well, you are well. So Fabulous asked three women to put the theory to the test
‘I thought I had the Parkinson’s gene’
Fabulous’ Deputy Editor Ellie O’Mahoney, 37, lives in Kent with husband Mark, 40, and son Elliott, two.
“As soon as I agree to this health MOT, I regret it. How will I cope if I find out I carry a gene that might give me a higher risk of a serious illness – particularly if it means my family are also at risk?
My grandmother, who died before I was born, is thought to have had breast cancer in her 40s, so I worry I’ll discover I have the faulty BRCA1 gene, which means my risk of developing the disease could be up to seven times greater than a women who doesn’t.
There’s no turning back, though, and first up is the Telomere Test, which costs £299 plus an initial £250 consultation, at the Omniya health clinic in London’s Knightsbridge.
It’s a blood test to determine my biological age – how old my body is due to wear and tear, compared to what’s written on my birth certificate.
It’s a huge shock to discover it puts me at 43 years and 8 months – more than six years older than I actually am!
The doctor explains it isn’t set in stone and is due to a number of factors – the first being that since having my son Elliott, I’ve rarely had an undisturbed night’s sleep. I’m expecting my second child in October, so there’s not much I can do about this, however!
The other factor is exercise, or lack of it, plus my diet. I’m pretty inconsistent when it comes to fitness and have probably only managed
a twice–yearly panic jog since Elliott’s birth.
On the food side, pregnancy has left me craving carbs, saturated fat and sugar rather than healthy greens and fruit, so it’s no wonder my body is ageing faster than it should be. Though at 5ft 2in and 10st 6lb, I’m still a healthy weight for six months pregnant.
The next test costs £149 and is called 23AndMe. It examines your DNA to see if you’re a carrier for genetic diseases, and involves a saliva test that you post and then wait six weeks for the email results.
When they ping into my inbox, I go straight to the section that will reveal whether I carry genes for breast cancer, Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. Ignoring the blurb at the top, I’m horrified to see that I have the genes for all three.
All kinds of things run through my head – should I have a mastectomy? How likely am I to get Alzheimer’s? How do I tell my siblings?
I’m visiting my sister abroad so try to carry on as normal and don’t mention that anything is wrong. It’s only a few hours later when I’m finally alone and my nerves are in tatters, I re-read the information and quickly discover I’ve completely misread the results.
I don’t actually have any of those genes. It’s a huge relief. But there is some bad news as I discover I carry two mutated genes, so have a higher risk of having hereditary hemochromatosis, a disorder that causes the body to absorb too much iron.
Without treatment it can be fatal, but it is treatable if caught early and I can now keep on top of it with regular blood tests.
Ellie O'Mahoney
Without treatment it can be fatal, but it is treatable if caught early and I can now keep on top of it with regular blood tests.
While it would have been brilliant to have been told I’m 100% healthy, I’m grateful for what has been flagged up. And finding out my biological age is exactly the jolt I need to think about my diet and exercise more.
I’m even planning to repeat the test in two years to see if I’ve narrowed that age gap!”
‘I put my body under lots of pressure’
Fitness model and personal trainer Charlotte Clark, 26, lives in north London.
“Because of my job, I consider myself to be a really healthy person – I teach up to 15 classes a week and also train for fitness competitions.
I’m never at the doctor’s and can’t remember the last time I was ill and at 5ft 5in and 9st 7lb, I’m a healthy weight for my height.
However, earlier this year I started to develop intolerances to food – something as simple as broccoli would have me doubled over with stomach pain, which had never happened before.
Concerned it was down to my strict vegan diet, I started to introduce a few more foods such as white meat, eggs and dairy, which has helped, so it will be interesting to see if the health MOT can tell me about how it’s affecting me.
The results of my blood test quickly reveal that my hormone levels are on the lower end of what is expected for someone my age. There’s no specific reason but it can be easily fixed by taking natural supplements such as agnus castus and, thankfully, it hasn’t had any nasty health repercussions.
It also shows I’ve got seriously low vitamin D levels, which can cause muscle weakness and tiredness. The doctor explains this is likely to be a direct result of my vegan diet and prescribes me more supplements. This helps confirm that I’ve done the right thing by being less strict with what I eat.
I was concerned that my biological age would be high due to all the physical pressure I put on my body, but the test puts my age at 26 years six months, which I’m pleased with.
Thankfully, the 23AndMe test doesn’t unearth any serious medical concerns either, but it does show I have Irish, German and French heritage – and even a touch of Iberian – which is funny as my parents have always told me that we are 100% British!
Overall, I’m pleased with my results and loved getting some proper insight into my health.”
‘I want to know why I’m so bloated’
Publicist Gabriela Czwarnos, 29, lives in east London.
“While I love a glass (or three) of prosecco at the weekend and have a really busy social life, I like to keep healthy from Monday to Friday.
I don’t eat sugar and hit the gym five times a week, doing a mixture of cardio and weights. But in the last year, despite a healthy weight of 8st 5lb for my 5ft 3in height and a diet of mainly fish, chicken, fruit and vegetables, I’ve noticed by the end of the day I’m so bloated I look like I’m pregnant.
I have also started experiencing PMS–like symptoms, feeling tired, moody and having irregular periods. However, I’ve never bothered seeing the doctor, because I feel fine otherwise.
But it turns out I’m not as healthy as I think. My blood tests reveal that my body isn’t producing as much progesterone (a hormone released by the ovaries that helps regulate the menstrual cycle) and testosterone (male hormone) as it should – in fact, my levels are very low.
Symptoms of progesterone deficiency are very similar to those of PMS so that explains my bloating, mood swings and fatigue. Thankfully, the doctor assures me it hasn’t affected my fertility and can be treated, so prescribes agnus castus.
However, my adrenalin levels are also quite low, which explains why I can barely seem to stay awake past 10pm on weeknights. Apparently, this can also be caused by low progesterone levels so the supplements will tackle this, too.
My age test is the most surprising result, though – my biological age is just 27, two whole years less than my real age. Maybe prosecco isn’t so bad for you after all!
While the DNA test reveals that I’m not prone to any serious conditions, it does uncover that my body metabolises caffeine at a really high rate and so doesn’t give me any sort of buzz, which is why I can drink up to five cups a day and still fall fast asleep just a few hours after having a cuppa in the evening.
My favourite result is the one that tells me my muscle composition is the same as that of a power athlete so, technically, I could run the London Marathon with ease if I ever really wanted to!
I’m so glad that I did these tests because I’ve been taking my supplements ever since and have already noticed an improvement.
Admittedly, it was all a bit nerve–wracking before I got the results, but it was well worth a few butterflies because I feel so much better now.
If you enjoyed reading this, read how a top doctor says gene testing could save THOUSANDS of lives or see if you can tell what body secrets these three women are hiding.
For more information, visit , .