WELLNESSS AND ACTIVITIES

1) Corporate wellness services promote positive and healthy

mindsets among workmates
Tuesday, 2 July 2013BY: KARINA FOOPHOTOS BY RAYMOND OOI AND YAP CHEE HONG

THE Malaysian workforce has reached a dire state of unhealthy proportions.

While being called overweight obese or just brusquely, fat, will always hit a raw nerve, the ugly
truth is that the heavyweight title has already been given to the country as the National Health and Morbidity
survey stated that 15.1% of Malaysians aged 18 and above are obese as of 2011. More than 2.6 million adults
were classified as obese while 447,000 children below 18 years old were overweight. While this refers to the
general population, the working class also represents a concern as their declining health indicates poor
productivity that will affect the profitability and competitiveness of their respective employers and corporations.
This is where corporate wellness businesses or services come into the picture. They create a wellnessbased programme that involves employment centred activities aimed at promoting positive and healthy
behaviours for disease prevention and management. The value and efficacy of a wellness programmes equation
should be straight forward Employees who have successfully completed it will be healthier as well as look
and feel better, thus able to perform at their best in the workplace.
While such programmes may sound arbitrary with indeterminable results, they are popular in the US
with 92% of employers with 200 or more employees having offered them in 2009, said Rand Corporation, a
non-profit research institution. Corporate Americans take their health seriously as health care costs are
increasing and employers hope to mitigate these expenses by seeking effective corporate wellness programmes
that are value-for-money. This increasing demand feeds the growing market as the US corporate wellness

industry revenue is projected to grow at an average of 9.8% a year to US$2.9billion, according to IBIS World
Industry Market Research.

2) Public Health Education and Health Screening Activities for Public

The second important aspect of IMUs community activities involves public education on
various health issues to create greater awareness among the general public in general and among
focused groups in particular. These activities are carried out by IMU subject specialists among the
academic staff as well as contributions from external specialists. On occasions, these activities are
done in collaboration with specific non-government organizations (NGOs) or with industrial
partners. Selected topics have included adolescent health, breast cancer, breast feeding, eye care,
mental health, spine health, autism, oral health, smoking cessation, diabetes, etc. They are held as
lectures/talks, panel discussions or seminars in the various campuses of the university or in the
communities.
Health screening for the general public is directed towards assisting individual public
members to identify their respective health problems.

The objectives include allowing the IMU

students to put into practice, the knowledge and skills that they have acquired from the University, to
assist the public to take more pro-active towards their own health and wellness, and where applicable,
to understand specific health diseases or health problems within the community. These activities are
carried out in a number of settings including in the IMU campuses, in community halls, in public
areas such as shopping malls and in specific rural settings. Common parameters that are selected for
careening include blood cholesterol, blood glucose, blood pressure, urine screening, oral health,
physical examinations, PAP smears and nutritional status. The population screened includes both
adults and children.

3) Lung Cancer Awareness Carnival

EMPOWERED, The Cancer Advocacy Society of Malaysia, the nations youngest cancer
voice celebrated World Lung Cancer Month in November with a bang that certainly reverberated and
echoed across the nation. Led by Founder and President, Consultant Medical Oncologist Dr. Christina
Ng, the Society took to the community of Seri Perak in Sentul Raya Kuala Lumpur and spread much
needed awareness about lung cancer, its prevention and treatment. True to the Society mantra,
EMPOWERED once again ventured into the interiors of society to display their commitment to reach
out to the pockets of society that no one often turns to, bringing much needed awareness and
education to people who equally matter. The event was also jointly organised by MAKPEMNational
Council of Welfare and Social Development Malaysia, DBKL(Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur) and
the Residents Association of Perumahan Awam Seri Perak.
Present at the function was MAKPEMs President, Dato Setia Amar Segera Dato Haji Halim bin Haji
Ibrahim, with Dr. Chong Chee Kheong, Director of Disease Control from the Ministry of Health.
The entire event was a testimony to the World Lung Cancer Month commemoration that is happening
internationally, to recognise a highly prevalent cancer that carries the highest cancer related mortality
worldwide. A slew of reasons attribute to the increase in lung cancer prevalence, the leading cause
stemming from smoking and the ill effects of second hand smoke. It is these stark statistics that
spurred the Society to work under its platform to Say NO to Smoke, YES to LIFE! The tagline
underscores the importance that the Society places in its call to attempt to make Malaysia say SAYA
BOLEH to quit smoking by trying to stay Smoke Free for a week during World Lung Cancer Month.
Indeed if smokers in the country heed this advice, then the Society will achieve its objectives to open
the eyes and ears of the nation to respond as one in mind and heart.
More and more of corporate Malaysia are joining the bandwagon to remain Smoke Free as many
corporations and small companies alike are beginning to address and inculcate Smoke Free
workplaces. EMPOWERED is doing its part and have started a viral video challenge called the
EMPOWERED Balloon Challenge that gets people everywhere and anywhere to demonstrate

healthy lungs, and thereby Say NO to Smoke by blowing into a balloon. This simple act is slowly but
surely catching on as corporations and individuals have joined the chorus to resoundingly say NO to
Smoke and YES to LIFE!
Much has gone into the Sunday event initiated by EMPOWERED. Teams of medical students assisted
to work with the visitors while medical professionals and companies came together under the Society
umbrella to share resources and professional expertise, with a common vision to disseminate crucial
information to the Seri Perak Sentul Raya community. Medical facts were available everywhere as
Seri Perak dwellers woke up on a Sunday to stake their claim to the vital information access dished
out to them freely in an elaborate educational booth display. Fun and engaging 5-minute tutorials were
delivered at all 12 educational booths on display at the event. These 12 booths offering specific public
assistance and awareness messages stole the thunder of the event as they professionally
communicated the essence of the disease. A Specialist Booth was also set up to allow
EMPOWEREDs team of medical specialists to deliver one-to-one consultations and focused
counseling on how to quit smoking
The 12 educational booths offered vital information and support based on the following topics as
follows:
i. How Do Lungs Work
ii. What is Lung Cancer, its Types, Risk Factors and Stages
iii. What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Lung Cancer
iv. Screening and Treatment of Early Lung Cancer (Surgery)
v. Treatment of Advanced Lung Cancer- Chemotherapy
vi. Treatment of Advanced Lung Cancer- Radiotherapy
vii. Hazards of Smoking- Stroke and Cardiac Diseases
viii. Be Smart Stay Away from Tobacco Products
ix. Stop Smoking Focus on NonPharmaceutical Approach
x. Stop Smoking Focus on Pharmaceutical Approach
The presence of young vibrant children at this event brought great energy and atmosphere on this day.
Some of them aged 5 to 12 and aged 13 to 17 also participated in an exciting poster and photographic
competition with a No-Smoke in my Community theme. Out of the many creative and vibrant works
produced, winners of the artwork competition were chosen and crowned as Ambassadors for NoSmoke in their respective communities. It was good to see these children embrace the theme and learn
from a tender age to say No to Smoke! The day ended with an accomplished sense of the attainment
of the set objectives to engage community to Say NO to Smoke and YES to LIFE!
A week before the event, volunteers and EMPOWERED staff took to the streets of the community to
knock on thousands of doors to invite them to attend the event organized solely with community
residents in mind. It is selfless efforts like this that is much needed in Malaysia, cutting across race,
religion and creed to exemplify a One Malaysia spirit to serve each other from sickness to wellness.

With the ongoing efforts seen in the Societys dynamic online platform, coupled with an engaging
attempt to make Malaysia participate in the EMPOWERED Balloon Challenge which demonstrates
healthy lungs, the Society hopes to move into the next frontier to truly make a difference in Malaysia.
EMPOWEREDs Founder and President Dr. Christina Ng shares, There are ongoing major
breakthroughs in the way lung cancer is being identified and targeted on a molecular level. With
accessibility to biomarker testing and molecular profiling tools, medical professionals are now able to
scientifically predict the appropriate treatments to deal with specific lung cancer molecular subtypes,
thus offering targeted therapies. With such revolutionary breakthroughs, lung cancer patients stand a
better chance to fight their disease more effectively with a better prospect for improved disease
outcomes and improved quality of life.
Dr.Ng further elaborated, At EMPOWERED, we are devoted and dedicated to take pertinent
messages about lung cancer to Malaysians. We see our role as supplementary and complimentary with
what is happening with the advancements regarding lung cancer. It is this very reason that we plough
on to make friendly inroads into under-resourced Malaysian communities who value and treasure
contemporary updates on the disease. We call on Malaysians to help us realize these noble intentions,
that together we can do more... that with a unified approach more ground can be covered.

4) Instructors from seven countries to lead Zumba fitness party in

January

SCORE FitMob returns to set an exciting milestone in the Malaysia Book of Records.
Taking place on Jan 18, 2015, Score FitMob: Largest Zumba Fitness Party 2015 will be taking place
at Stadium Merdeka with 6,000 participants dancing away the calories, led by a team of 15 instructors
from seven different countries. Score strategic director James Tan has always been an advocate of
living healthy through fitness.
He said the success of their previous event, Score FitMob: The Largest Les Mills
Bodycombat Class in Malaysia, of which 1,823 people participated, drove him to aim higher and
organise a bigger event for the public to be a part of. Score FitMob is about bringing like-minded
people together through fun fitness activities and we want to keep this energetic spirit of camaraderie
going, he said.
Zumba is a dance fitness programme comprising various dance and aerobic elements such as
samba, salsa, mambo and merengue, that changes the way people perceive working out as it
emphasises having fun while burning calories. This fitness phenomenon has 15 million people taking
weekly classes in 200,000 locations around the world. The event is presented by Great Eastern Life
Assurance (Malaysia) Berhad in line with its Live Great Programme
Great Eastern Life director and chief executive officer Datuk Koh Yaw Hui said the idea
behind this collaboration was to eliminate the publics perception that health and wellness was boring,
through exciting activities catered to the public. Keeping fit and exercising can also be fun and
entertaining. It would be even more enjoyable when you get families and friends involved as well.
Ultimately, we want to inspire Malaysians to start making little healthy changes in life, that can bring
about big results if done consistently, he said.

Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia Major Events and FIT Malaysia, an initiative by the Youth and Sports
Ministry that aims to inspire Malaysians to be fitter through sporting activities, are also supporting the
event.

5) Yoga get-together, healthy fundraising event

Standing From Left: Nadia Heng (Host of the event), Malaysian Wellness Society President Dr. Rajbans Singh,
Mimi To (GYMC 2012 Winner), Amber Chia, Mega Lifesciences Sdn Bhd Regional Director Mr. Sudhir
Gandhi, Mega Lifesciences Joey Choo Executive Assistant, National Stroke Association of Malaysia General
Manager Ng Wye Wye and the National Cancer Society of Malaysia President and Medical Director Dr.
Saunthari Somasundaram,

Mega Lifesciences, in collaboration with Malaysian Wellness Society, is hosting a fundraising

event called Mega Yoga Day a one-day urban health and wellness gathering and fundraising event.
It is scheduled to be held at the outdoor Red Carpet Avenue, The Strand, Kota Damansara on Oct 27,
in conjunction with World Stroke Day and Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
There will be health and well-being activities, including free public health screenings and
awareness workshop by National Stroke and Cancer Society, childrens activities and the largest yoga
participation in Malaysia. Among the Malaysian celebrities who will be participating are model
Amber Chia, Miss Malaysia-Universe 2010 Nadia Heng, TV and radio host Wong Chui Ling and Jojo
Struys.
The inaugural event is expected to attract 5,000 people, including celebrities, representatives
from corporate companies, community leaders, government ministries and agencies, volunteers as
well as health enthusiasts. This charitable initiative encourages Malaysians to stay fit under its Good
Health by Yourself campaign.