NGO launches Eat Right, Play Right programme for B40 children to overcome malnutrition

PETALING JAYA: Urban poor children who were hit hard during the Covid-19 lockdowns, especially with malnutrition and lack of physical activity, may face health problems in the future, said World Vision Malaysia (WVM) programmes and grants manager Lydia Lee.

She said among the reasons for this is children from the B40 group could not go to school during the Covid-19 pandemic and had no access to school-provided meals.

“The financially hard-pressed parents bought food that could fill their children’s stomachs but was not necessarily nutritious. To help the children and parents understand the importance of nutrition, WVM started the ‘Eat Right, Play Right’ programme.

“We signed up 55 children aged between seven and 12 from a low-cost flat in Subang. Under the programme, the children will have access to physical activity such as playing badminton while incorporating a teaching portion about eating nutritious food.

“It is easier for children to learn in a fun environment,” she said, adding that the three-year programme targets 10 low-cost flats in Selangor.

Lee said in the process of executing the programme, WVM discovered that 20% of the children were underweight while 29.1% were obese.

A lack of nutrition could cause children to become stunted or too short for their age. Malaysia’s childhood stunting rates are among the highest in the region, affecting one in five children aged five and below and around one in 12 adolescents.

The Malaysian Paediatric Association said stunting is associated with reduced immunity, cognitive impairment, chronic diseases and reduced socioeconomic opportunities in adulthood.

As part of the programme, WVM holds regular sessions with the children, combining fun activities with teaching to make it more exciting for them to learn.

“Play is important for children’s physical, social and emotional development. It helps them build important skills, improves coordination and enhances creativity and problem-solving skills.

“Group play also provides a space for children to socialise, build relationships and develop important life skills such as teamwork and communication.

“Nutrition, on the other hand, is critical for growth and development. A nutritious and balanced diet provides them with the vitamins and minerals needed to build healthy bodies and minds.”

Lee said during nutrition lessons, the children would be taught the importance of taking vitamins, drinking enough water and having proper eating habits.

She said parents have their children sign up for the programme because they want to keep them occupied and not roaming around aimlessly.

“WVM also holds community kitchen programmes for parents to learn how to cook nutritious meals for the family on a limited budget. We first studied what they could afford to buy before incorporating a meal programme.

“Most of the parents work two jobs to make ends meet and do not have time to cook a proper meal. WVM showed them how to make a nutritious meal in a single pot, which helped them save cooking time too.”

Instead of just buying food to fill up their stomachs, she said with guidance from WVM, the B40 families could eat better and more nutritious food.

“These families can only afford meat or fish once in while and they prefer to buy food which can be stored for longer periods,” she added.

“Obesity is an issue with B40 families because of the lack of physical activity. A lot of these children tend to eat junk food, which is easily available and leads to obesity.

“If their parents are working and have no time to cook for them, they will be given limited funds to buy food, causing them to pick junk food, which is low priced.”

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