Malaysians Unite By Walking More Than A Million Miles For Heart Health

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NESTLÉ OMEGA PLUS Walk-a-Million-Miles Virtual Event sets a new record in its 2nd year running, with a total of 1,176,666 miles achieved.

Cheque presentation from NESTLÉ OMEGA PLUS to Yayasan Jantung Malaysia(YJM) and Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) Foundation. From L to R: Juan Aranols, Dato’ Gurbakhash Singh, Mohamed Zamri bin Mohamed Nezuri, Ahmad Faisal Bin Azhan, YBhg. Toh Puan Dato’ Seri Dr. Hajjah Aishah Ong and Lam Pui Yuee
12,988 Malaysians from all over the country united virtually to walk a total of 1,176,666 miles during the NESTLÉ OMEGA PLUS Walk-a-Million-Miles 2021 event, held in conjunction with World Heart Month. With this achievement, NESTLÉ OMEGA PLUS fulfilled its pledge to donate RM100,000 to long-standing partners, Yayasan Jantung Malaysia (YJM) and Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) Foundation.

High cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease and affects 8 million adults in Malaysia. Under the theme ‘Melangkah Bersama, Jantung Dijaga’, NESTLÉ OMEGA PLUS partners once again with YJM and IJN Foundation, empowering Malaysians to take a step forward in combating high cholesterol while helping raise funds for heart patients in need.

“We are very delighted with the progress achieved this year. YJM and IJN Foundation have been long-standing partners of our heart health initiatives because this is truly a cause that is close to our hearts at NESTLÉ OMEGA PLUS. We are proud to support them and thankful to everyone who participated in Walk-a-Million-Miles 2021, contributing to our goal of one million miles and raise awareness for heart health across the nation,” said Juan Aranols, Chief Executive Officer, Nestlé (Malaysia) Berhad.

On average, each participant clocked in 7,200 steps a day, leading up to a monthly average of 216,000 steps per participant throughout the month of September. This is significantly higher than the average number of 3,963 steps[1] a day that Malaysians take, indicating the proactiveness of Malaysians in stepping up their commitment to heart health.

Dato’ Gurbakhash Singh of YJM said, “With heart diseases continuing to rise, it is extremely critical for us to advocate heart-healthy lifestyles for ourselves and our families. Walking 10,000 steps daily can help mitigate risks of cardiovascular diseases. The achievement clocked in by Malaysians in this year’s Walk-a-Million-Miles initiative is very encouraging as it indicates that we are gradually moving towards our goal to become a heart-healthy nation.”

Yang Amat Berbahagia Toh Puan Dato' Seri Dr. Hajjah Aishah Ong of IJNF said, “The Walk-a-Million-Miles initiative is a great opportunity to reach and empower Malaysians to take charge and care for their heart. We thank all participants as well as NESTLÉ OMEGA PLUS for this donation and support towards heart patients in need.”

Sokalingam Karuppiah, a heart patient at IJN shared that initiatives like Walk-a-Million-Miles are beneficial as it helps heart patients in need. “I was unable to take on the sum of the hospital bills so when IJN Foundation informed me that NESTLÉ OMEGA PLUS will help me with part of my cost of my treatment, I was extremely grateful. I am very supportive of Walk-a-Million-Miles and I pledge to do my part to give back so other people who are in dire need can get a helping hand too.”

NESTLÉ OMEGA PLUS encourages Malaysians to take charge of their own heart health by staying active and eating heart-healthy meals to manage their cholesterol levels. This includes drinking two servings of NESTLÉ OMEGA PLUS daily because it contains ActiCol®, 1.2g plant sterol, which is proven effective to lower cholesterol by reducing cholesterol absorption in the body[2].

Lam Pui Yuee, Business Executive Officer, Milks Business Unit, Nestlé (Malaysia) said, “NESTLÉ OMEGA PLUS is on a momentum in getting more Malaysians to take charge of their heart health. We encourage members of the public to continue managing their heart health by exercising, eating a heart-healthy diet and drinking NESTLÉ OMEGA PLUS. We look forward to your support for next year’s Walk-a-Million-Miles event.”

[1] The Star (2018). https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/health/2018/12/08/10000-steps-a-day-keeps-the-doctor-away
[2] Thomsen AB, et al. Eur J Clin Nutr 2004; 58:860-870

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