This Inspiring Docuseries Follows 15 M'sian Kids As They Train, Learn, And Grow To Great
While they train to improve their football skills, the docuseries also shows how nutrition can influence children's ability to perform.
By Gowri Chitra — 30 Aug 2022, 11:59 AM
As the Official Health Nutrition Partner of Real Madrid FC, Abbott wants to promote the values inherent in sport to children globally — to educate, support, nourish, and develop kids around the world
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.
Believing that every child deserves the chance to reach their optimal growth potential through complete and balanced nutrition, the Grow to Great campaign aims to raise awareness about malnutrition as one of the key factors leading to stunting.
Complete and balanced nutrition is important to help a child grow
In the first five years, up to 80% of a child's growth is contributed by nutrition, whereas only up to 20% is from genetics³.
That's why the Grow to Great campaign builds upon PediaSure's years of commitment to nourish children in Malaysia through science-backed nutrition solutions, ensuring our children can grow to their full potential.
PediaSure's dedicated efforts to battle malnutrition and child stunting, which is a serious national concern, also includes making related educational tools accessible for parents and caretakers. They strive to raise awareness on topics such as the importance of regular growth tracking and a child's two major growth spurts.
As part of this, a docuseries titled PediaSure Grow to Great™ is going to be launched, in which Malaysian kids will get the opportunity to pursue their football dreams and realise their true growth potential with the right training and nutrition support
Hosted by actor Akhmal Nazri and consisting of six 30-minute episodes, this show encompasses the emotional journey of 15 young Malaysian kids undergoing training to become the next generation of successful football players.
Over four weeks, the young football talents will be training under the guidance of head coach Rudie Ramli, a former national and Malaysia Super League player, and other renowned local veteran players.
Through this programme, PediaSure wants to spread awareness on and combat malnutrition and stunting among Malaysian children and teens.
As many parents may be unaware that this could be impacting their kids, or perhaps think the statistics won't happen to their children, the docuseries aims to showcase real life examples of how these issues are prevalent. It will also show how this issue can be prevented with the right support and right nutrition, to give every child the ability to grow to great.
Throughout their journey on the show, the chosen players will be staying at Academy PediaSure (MMU Cyberjaya), where the best facilities and equipment will be provided to enhance and show their growth and progress during training
In addition to covering their day-to-day training, PediaSure Grow to Great will also depict the kids' personal stories about their hopes, dreams, and struggles, revealing their determination to move further in the programme.
Particular attention will be paid to their health and nutrition
One of the main things PediaSure aims to highlight through the docuseries is how proper nutrition can not only support children's growth, but also contribute to performance improvement.
To achieve this, the kids will be receiving nutrition education from Abbott and healthcare professionals. They will also be drinking two glasses of PediaSure a day for a period of two months.
The combination of these things will help the fledgling footballers improve in terms of height, energy, and less sick days.
Located in Academy PediaSure is a pantry room filled with health info on the products for the players to self-explore. It is here that they will learn about informative health topics like the importance of nutrition and how it can help combat stunting.
Here's a peep at some of the activities the kids will get to experience:
Health evaluation process
All participants will undergo a health evaluation process with specialists from PediaSure Malaysia. To better understand each child's growth and physical condition, things like their body mass index (BMI), muscle mass percentage, and bone density will be examined.
Training sessions
To tune up their skills, the kids will undergo both group and one-on-one training sessions with a team of coaches and mentors.
Friendly match
Will the kids be able to beat a team of MMU players in a friendly football match? Tune in to find out!
Nutrition and public relations class
Football players must know the importance of healthy food and nutrition, as it is vital for them to have sustenance and energy for training and exercise, as well as to ensure their growth. It is also important for them to have a good attitude and personality. These classes will teach the kids how professional football players conduct themselves and ensure their nutrition.
Escape room challenge
With communication, teamwork, and confidence in decision-making being vital for a football team, taking the participants to an escape room is an exciting way to get them to build those skills and grow closer as a team.
At the end of PediaSure Grow to Great, the aspiring football players will receive exciting rewards as a token of appreciation for their hard work
This includes things such as having lunch at a hotel, Real Madrid merchandise, free PediaSure products, and more.
The players will also get to see how far they've come from when they first started and examine how their skills have improved. Plus, they'll also get to find out how much they've physically grown with the help of PediaSure.
Take a closer look at PediaSure's products:
Grow Your Children To Greatness
PediaSure
A complete and balanced child nutritional supplement for kids aged 1 to 10 years old that is scientifically proven for 50% faster growth and less sick days⁴. Formulated with 38 key nutrients, including arginine and vitamin K2, for longer and strong bones⁵ ⁶, it also contains pre- and pro-biotics to support the immune system.
It is also 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+
This new product is the first complete balanced nutrition scientifically formulated for teens aged 10 to 15 years old to catch up on the last chance of growth. It is formulated with Triple Growth System to help with height and energy, as well as support immune function.
Make sure to watch PediaSure Grow for Great when it airs on TV3 every Saturday at 7pm starting 27 August!
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. Jelenkovic, A. et al. Genetic and environmental influences on height from infancy to early adulthood: An individual-based pooled analysis of 45 twin cohorts. Sci. Rep. 6, 28496; doi: 10. 1038/srep28496 (2016)
4. Alarcon PA, et al. Clin Pediatr (Philia). 2003;42(3):2019-17. 50% based on calculated value.
5. Van Vught AJ et al. Br J Nutr (2013), 109, 1031-1039. Dietary arginine and linear growth: the Copenhagen school child intervention study
6. 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
