Diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at just 29, former Flesh Imp founder and real-estate advisor Nicholas Cho opens up about the reckless habits of his youth, the shock of his diagnosis, and the discipline it takes to stay healthy nearly two decades later.
“I thought I was invincible.”
In his 20s, Nicholas Cho lived what he calls a “pseudo-superstar lifestyle.” He partied several nights a week, smoked heavily, and barely slept. “I didn’t exercise, I drank a lot, I partied a lot, I smoked a lot, and I felt invincible,” he recalled with a laugh. “At that age, you think nothing bad will ever happen to you.”
At the time, he was running his own streetwear label, juggling late nights and irregular meals. The stress and lack of routine soon caught up with him.
“I ballooned from a petite 60kg to almost 100kg in about five years,” he said. “I didn’t realise how much damage I was doing to my body.”
The day everything changed
One day, Cho noticed something was off.
“I was feeling really thirsty, like uncontrollably thirsty,” he said. “To quench my thirst, I kept drinking Coca-Cola and water, but the thirst never went away. The more I drank, the more I had to go to the toilet.”
His mother urged him to see a doctor. The blood test results stunned him.
“The doctor looked at me and said, ‘Your sugar levels are way off the charts, close to 30 mmol/L.’ For context, anything above 10 is already considered dangerously high. That’s when I realised something was seriously wrong.”
Cho was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, not the kind you’re born with, but one brought on by lifestyle. “My world fell apart,” he admitted. “I was only 29. I thought I had my whole life ahead of me.”
A rude awakening
That moment forced Cho to confront the reality of how much he had neglected his health. “It was only then that I realised I had let myself go,” he said quietly. “That was a huge wake-up call for me.”
He began taking medication, but he knew pills alone wouldn’t fix it. “Diabetes isn’t something that goes away with medicine. You need to make permanent lifestyle changes and sacrifices.”
Rebuilding his life
Over the years, Cho completely overhauled his routine.
“I set up an exercise schedule, cut out processed carbs, and focused on eating more protein and vegetables,” he explained. The result: a steady transformation from nearly 100kg to the lean 70kg he maintains today.
But living with diabetes comes with constant vigilance.
“My second home is the hospital,” he shared. “I go for check-ups every three months — foot, eye, kidney — because medication can affect other organs too. Before every meal, I take an injection. It’s inconvenient, but necessary.”
Simple pleasures like supper with friends or a drink at the bar have also changed.
“I used to love rice — typical fan tong — but it’s really toxic for diabetics. I can’t eat white rice or bread anymore. Sometimes I cheat a bit, but don’t tell my doctor,” he grinned.
The discipline to keep going
For him, consistency is key. “Exercise is non-negotiable. If I skip it, my sugar control goes off. It’s part of my life now,” he said. “There’s no cure, just management.”
He’s also learned to take things in moderation. “I’m not saying you can’t drink bubble tea or have dessert,” he said. “Just don’t overdo it. Everything in moderation, that’s the biggest lesson.”
Advice for the young and restless
Now 47, Cho wants to use his story to remind others, especially the younger generation, that health is fragile.
“You’re not invincible just because you’re young,” he said. “Go for regular check-ups. Don’t wait until something happens.”
And perhaps most importantly, he added with a smile, “Listen to old people. We actually know what we’re talking about.”
