STICKING TO NEW YEAR'S WISH FOR HEALTH'S SAKE

GE Women's Run entrant sheds 50kg in 17 months as family adopt active lifestyle

- Melvyn Teoh

It all started with a half-hearted New Year's resolution in 2022 before a visit to the doctor jolted Sharifah Osman into making a concerted move to fight the flab.

The mother of two not only managed to bring down her weight significantly, but she also motivated her husband and son to adopt a healthier lifestyle as the trio succeeded in losing over 100kg within two years.

The then-supply chain manager, 49, recalled she said she wanted to lose weight, just like in previous years, when a colleague asked about her New Year's resolution in January 2022. At that time, she weighed 105kg, which made her obese for her height of 1.58m.

But a visit to her doctor later that month made her stick to her resolution, as she was reminded that she had been taking medication for three major chronic illnesses: high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes - for several years.

Sharifah said: "I thought 'this is getting out of hand'. My husband had a second heart attack that year. My daughter is still young, she has special needs.