Global nutrition company Herbalife Nutrition recently concluded a 12-week Nutrition for Zero Hunger (NFZH) STAR program for 90 vulnerable children in Malaysia by providing good nutrition and educating them on cultivating healthy eating and active lifestyle habits.
The participating children were from the three beneficiaries of the Casa Herbalife Nutrition program in Malaysia, namely Amitabha Charity Orphanage, Good Samaritan Home and Pusat Jagaan Kanak-Kanak Yatim/Miskin Rukaiyah.
Through the NFZH STAR program, Herbalife Nutrition said it is supporting the Government’s efforts to improve the health and nutritional well-being of Malaysians in line with the 12th Malaysia Plan (2021-2025), as well as the recent special committee that was set up to combat multiple nutrition gaps amongst children. This includes the problem of stunted growth, which according to the Ministry of Health Malaysia has become a worrying nationwide issue.
Herbalife Nutrition Malaysia and Singapore senior director and general manager Steven Chin said recent reports indicated that malnutrition in Malaysian children have been exacerbated by the pandemic.
“Through our NFZH STAR Programme, we hope more children in Malaysia will be able to make healthier nutrition choices, contributing to the Government’s vision to reduce the rate of malnutrition in children nationwide to 8% by 2030, compared with the current rate of 21.8% as reported by the 2019 National Health and Morbidity Survey,” he said.
With the aim of reducing child hunger and malnutrition through nutrition education, the NFZH STAR Program aims to instill healthy lifestyle habits with a reward system to incentivise participants.
A series of tasks comprising nutrition and exercise quizzes and challenges were provided to the children during the 12-week period, and for every task completed, children received a stamp reward. At the end of the program, a prize-giving ceremony was held to celebrate the children’s achievements.
The program has benefited the children from the three orphanages.
During the prize-giving ceremony, Mei Hui, 14, from Amitabha Charity Orphanage said, “My favourite activity from the NFZH STAR program was the nutrition and exercise workshop. Not only did I learn more about healthy eating but also had fun exercising with my friends. By consuming more fruits and vegetables and keeping up with my daily exercise routine, I am happy to share that I am more focused at school.”
Amitabha Charity Orphanage principal Chong Tzer Bin said he had observed a positive change in one of the children after taking up the NFZH STAR program.
“When Anthony first came to our home, his body was very weak and was underweight. After taking up the program, Anthony has become more active and cheerful, and has achieved the ideal height and weight for his age,” he said.
Pusat Jagaan Kanak-Kanak Yatim/Miskin Rukaiyah manager Siti Eshah Din said the children have been taking their health and lifestyle more seriously since the NFZH STAR programme’s implementation.
“We know that consuming a healthy, balanced diet can help build a smart brain. Our children are now more careful when choosing what to eat and can make healthier food choices on their own. Nutritious food helps shape a smart generation and we thank Herbalife Nutrition for bringing this to light,” she said.
