"He Is Now Fitter & Faster" — M'sian Parents Share Kids' Growth After Being On Docuseries
Over four weeks, the kids trained with veteran Malaysian football players and learned about nutrition from health experts.
Published for PediaSure, 21 Sep 2022, 10:24 AM
Aiming to help Malaysian kids pursue their football dreams, and realise their true growth potential, PediaSure Grow to Great™ is a heartwarming docuseries that follows the emotional journey of 15 young Malaysians
Over the course of four weeks, the kids trained to become the next generation of successful football players. Guiding them throughout the process were head coach Rudie Ramli, a former national and Malaysia Super League player, and other renowned local veteran players.
Created by PediaSure, the docuseries consists of six 30-minute episodes and is hosted by actor Akhmal Nazri.
Besides improving the kids' football skills, PediaSure Grow to Great also aims to shine a spotlight on an important issue — malnutrition and stunting among Malaysian children.
According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019, 1 in 5 Malaysian kids under the age of five are stunted¹, and Malaysian teens are 6cm shorter than teens worldwide²
Knowing that many parents are probably unaware of this serious national concern is one of the reasons PediaSure came up with the PediaSure Grow to Great docuseries — to showcase real life examples of how these issues are prevalent.
Through this programme, they want to educate Malaysian parents and kids on how nutrition is a key factor in helping to prevent these issues, so that every single child can recognise their true growth potential and grow to great.
In addition to their football training during PediaSure Grow to Great, the 15 young Malaysians also learned how proper nutrition can support their growth and contribute to performance improvement.
To help them improve in terms of muscle growth, height, and immune system, the kids were provided with nutrition education from Abbott and healthcare professionals, a meal plan customised by a nutritionist, and PediaSure products. They also had access to a pantry room filled with information on health topics and PediaSure products.
To find out just how much the kids changed and grew throughout the docuseries, we spoke to some of their parents.
Here's what they had to say:
1. Mohd Haneef, father to 13-year-old Muhammad Hazeeq, is grateful to the programme for inducing positive changes in his son
Hailing from Ampang, Selangor, Hazeeq is an aspiring goalkeeper. According to his father, the young boy is now more confident, enthusiastic, and focused when he's on the field.
Haneef also added that he has seen physical changes in his son, who grew taller and gained an increased stamina. Additionally, after drinking PediaSure throughout the docuseries, Hazeeq's appetite improved.
"The PediaSure Grow to Great programme can increase children's confidence in various aspects. It also gives them the opportunity and enthusiasm to go further in football. I think this programme is very good because it has changed my child for the better. THANK YOU for giving my child the chance to be part of this, I really appreciate it," said the 40-year-old father.
2. Mohd Hariz's son, Aryan, became more confident both on and off the football field
Aryan with his fellow 'PediaSure Grow to Great' participants.
Image via Mohd Hariz (Provided to SAYS)As a right wing and striker, a key change for the 11-year-old from Kuala Lumpur was how he became more energetic while playing. He also grew taller. Mohd Hariz even added that Aryan showed an increase in stamina on the football field.
"PediaSure Grow to Great is very good and positive. It has helped my son become more confident in his life and football.
"The growth of children at the age of 10-15 years is very, very important, and PediaSure contains complete nutrition for growing children. I've seen how drinking PediaSure has helped my son with his growth.
"I am very grateful that out of the many who applied, Aryan was selected to participate in this programme," shared the 39-year-old father.
3. For Roziah, she was happy to find that her son changed both physically and mentally
Playing the position of left wing and striker, 13-year-old Danish's physical changes include a better appetite, a strong increase in stamina and height, and good health. As for mental changes, the Kuantan native is more focused and has self-confidence, as well as is more active and energetic.
Finally, in terms of his football skills, Roziah credits the guidance from the coaches with helping him be faster and fitter on the field.
"My husband and I have learned a lot about nutrition through PediaSure Grow to Great, and we are now confident that we can help our children grow both physically and mentally. Thank you, PediaSure, for organising this beneficial programme," said Roziah.
4. Abu Hassan noted that there were significant changes in his son's height, stamina, appetite, and health
Through his son's participation in the programme, the 40-year-old father learned that a child's nutritional intake is important for their growth and development, especially when it comes to sports.
Abu Hassan's son, 13-year-old Muhammad Aiman, plays right back and left back when on the field. Drinking PediaSure throughout the programme greatly helped the Kajang boy's memory and thinking in daily life.
"In my view, this programme is very good and should be continued. I can see many positive changes in my son, especially in the aspects of self-confidence, socialising, improving playing skills, and height. He is also calmer and more focused when playing football," said Abu Hassan.
5. 44-year-old Muhamad found himself learning that a proper nutritional intake is important for a child's physical and mental development
Mudzill (center, in a yellow and black jersey) during a training session.
Image via Muhamad (Provided to SAYS)Muhamad's son —12-year-old goalkeeper Mudzill — saw a change in appetite, weight, and height. There were also changes in his skills, with the Petaling Jaya boy showing more confidence, energy, and enthusiasm when playing.
Speaking on his opinion of PediaSure Grow to Great, Muhamad shared, "It is good for the development of football in this country. It opens up more opportunities for children who are talented but are from less privileged groups to stand out more."
At the same time, head coach Rudie Ramli also chimed in to talk about how he feels about the kids' progress throughout PediaSure Grow to Great
The 'PediaSure Grow to Great' coaches watching as the participants compete against each other during one of the training sessions.
Image via TV3 (Provided to SAYS)According to him, the players all had varied stamina levels in the beginning, as they came from different backgrounds and were of different ages. And in terms of football skills, some were better than others, while some needed improvements.
Rudie and the other coaches gave their all to train these kids, leading to improvements in skills, stamina, and discipline, all of which are important qualities to be a good football player.
Speaking of his hopes for the kids, Rudie shared, "Myself and the other coaches all hope that the kids will be able to use all the things we taught them. We have high hopes for them, because we know they have the potential to be the next generation of Malaysian football players. They still have a long, difficult journey ahead of them, so we hope they continue to keep up with their training, improve their skills and stamina, and take care of their health.
"They came in knowing what they wanted to achieve and had their own targets, so we hope all their dreams come true. I'd love to see them being part of the Malaysian football league in the future, or even representing the country in this sport."
Over the years, PediaSure had always been committed to nourishing children in Malaysia through science-backed nutrition solutions, ensuring they can grow to their full potential
With malnutrition and child stunting being serious national concerns, PediaSure is making dedicated efforts to battle these issues. They strive to raise awareness on topics such as the importance of regular growth tracking and a child's two major growth spurts. This includes making related educational tools accessible for parents and caretakers.
PediaSure Grow to Great is also part of their efforts, as it is their way of showing how nutrition can influence children's ability to perform. They also want to promote the values inherent in sport — to educate, support, nourish, and develop kids.
Here's a closer look at PediaSure's products:
PediaSure
A complete and balanced child nutritional supplement for kids aged 1 to 10 years old. It is not only formulated with 38 key nutrients, including arginine and vitamin K2, for longer and strong bones³ ⁴, but also contains pre- and pro-biotics to support the immune system.
Scientifically proven for 50% faster growth and less sick days⁵, it is the #1 child nutritional supplement recommended by experts for catch-up growth*, and a trusted brand by mothers as the solution for their child's growth concerns.
PediaSure 10+
The first complete balanced nutritional supplement scientifically formulated for teens aged 10 to 15 years old to catch up on the last chance of growth. Formulated with Triple Growth System, it boosts height and energy, as well as supports immune function.
For more information on PediaSure and how it can help your kids, check out the Grow to Great campaign website
On the website, you'll be able to meet the 15 kids from the docuseries and see their visible growth in action, learn more about nutrition for growth with PediaSure, and use PediaSure's Growth Diary application to track your children's growth progress.
References
1. National Health and Morbidity Survey, 2019.
2. WHO Growth Standard, 2007.
3. Alarcon PA, et al. Clin Pediatr (Philia). 2003;42(3):2019-17. 50% based on calculated value.
4. Van Vught AJ et al. Br J Nutr (2013), 109, 1031-1039. Dietary arginine and linear growth: the Copenhagen school child intervention study
5. Van Summeren MJ et al. Br J Nutr (2008), 100, 852-858. Vitamin K status is associated with childhood bone mineral content.
*Abbott Regional HCP Tracker, conducted by IQVIA in Malaysia between April and June 2021
