Fit & Proper: How to deal with bad body odour

Your weekly health guide

Why do some people have bad body odour?

Bromhidrosis (abnormal or offensive body odour) is mainly determined by apocrine gland secretion. Bacteria present on the skin act with the sweat to produce an offensive body odour. This occurs more at puberty with increased sweating due to enhanced apocrine function, as a result of hormonal changes.

Some people don’t recognise that they have bad body odour. How can one recognise it?

Body odour has been described as pungent, rancid, musty or “sour and sweet” due to bacterial breakdown like fatty acids and ammonia. Each person has a unique body odour that is influenced by