NESTLÉ OMEGA PLUS Walk-A-Mile, the longest-running walking event in Malaysia returned for the 17th consecutive year today at Taman Tasik Perdana (Lake Gardens) to mark World Heart Day with the largest crowd turnout yet: 4,000 Malaysians pledging to take their first steps towards better heart health. It also marks the 17th year of partnership with Yayasan Jantung Malaysia (YJM) in the fight against high cholesterol, a major risk factor of heart disease.
Heart disease is the number one killer among adults in Malaysia, accounting for 13.2 per cent of deaths in 20161. High cholesterol, a leading cause of heart disease, affects almost half, or 47.7 per cent of adult Malaysians. Despite this, four out of five Malaysians with high cholesterol are unaware of their status2. What is even more alarming is the fact that heart health continues to be shrouded in myths and misconceptions.
“Many Malaysians still believe that high cholesterol only affects certain groups of people but the heart of the matter is, each and every one of us – regardless of age, gender, weight and background – is at risk of high cholesterol. With our fast-paced lifestyles, unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise, Malaysians should be more proactive in taking care of their heart health and it should start now,” said Kumaran Nowuram, Business Executive Officer, MILO and Milks Business Unit at Nestlé Malaysia.
“Walk-A-Mile reflects our brand’s purpose of enhancing the quality of life and contributing to a healthier future for all. It is an extension of our commitment to empowering Malaysians to lead longer, fuller lives by encouraging them to adopt heart-healthy habits, such as eating a balanced diet and getting regular physical activity. While the responsibility of each and every individual remains central, as the leading advocate of heart health, it is our belief that collectively we all have a role to play. As we take better care of our heart, we can take better care of someone else’s too, thanks to our longstanding partnership with YJM,” he added.
As part of its commitment to helping Malaysians achieve better heart health, Nestlé Malaysia presented a donation of RM30,000 to YJM during the event.
“For 36 years, we have been at the forefront of educating the public on the importance of maintaining heart health as the foundation of overall well-being,” said Tun Ahmad Sarji Bin Abdul Hamid, President of YJM. “However, our work is far from over. With almost half of Malaysians with high cholesterol being under the age of 40, going forward, we will focus our effort on targeting young people to improve their awareness of cholesterol management for better heart health.”
He remarked further, “As the most productive segment of society, young people need to pay special attention to their heart health for the poor lifestyle choices they make today will have an impact in later years. Heart disease is highly preventable and we could not emphasise enough the importance of regular cholesterol checks and other heart-related screenings as the first step to caring for your heart. Free blood cholesterol checks were specially made available during Walk-A-Mile too.”
In addition to the Hearty Checks (health checks), this year’s Walk-A-Mile featured a host of exciting and interactive Hearty activities to help participants learn more about heart health. The mile-long Hearty Walk along a planned route around the lake consisted of quizzes and obstacles on facts and myths associated with cholesterol. Through Hearty Steps, participants learned a series of simple exercise steps while at the Hearty Boost station, they were treated to heart-healthy drinks.
As a step towards better heart health, NESTLÉ OMEGA PLUS encourages all Malaysians to be proactive in taking care of their health by managing cholesterol levels. The journey towards a healthier heart starts with small but impactful lifestyle changes. To complement a healthy diet and regular exercise, consuming two daily servings of NESTLÉ OMEGA PLUS which contain 1.2g of plant sterols and omega 3:6 that is scientifically proven to lower cholesterol levels effectively and help reduce the risk of heart disease, can make a positive impact on one’s heart health.
To learn more about NESTLÉ OMEGA PLUS, visit www.facebook.com/NestleOmegaPlus.
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