Encouraging kids to lead healthy lifestyles

Healthy eating habits and a physically active lifestyle have a positive effect on children’s health.

The Nestle for Healthier Kids (N4HK) program is intended to help schools to inculcate their students with proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle practices.

A total of 250 schoolchildren at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Sibugal Besar, Sandakan, Sabah were among the first to be part of the expanded program to Sabah and Sarawak this year.

The schoolchildren were exposed to out-of-classroom activities such as Practicing Healthy Lifestyles, the Food Pyramid, Eating Regular Meals, Healthy Food Choices, Personal Hygiene and Jom Aktif, a fun and energetic senamrobik activity.

Nestle Malaysia group corporate nutrition manager Wong Mei Ching said the N4HK program was expanding its reach to positively impact 5,000 schoolchildren in the two Borneo states.

“N4HK is very much in line with our purpose of enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future, and we are pleased to extend this program to Sabah and Sarawak this year.

“As part of our overall objective to reach out to a total of 30,000 Malaysian schoolchildren in 2019, this also supports the Government’s efforts to empower young Malaysians to embrace healthier and happier lives through education,” she said.

A collaboration with the Nutrition Society of Malaysia and the Ministry of Education Malaysia, the N4HK program was launched in 2010 and aimed at improving nutrition knowledge and promoting active lifestyles amongst primary schoolchildren.

Additionally, along with educational modules, this year N4HK is engaging with parents through a series of workshops to help them support their children in the journey towards leading healthier lives.