Starting in February, Abbott will provide Stand4Strength physical and lifestyle assessments and muscle health starter kits for hawker stall owners across Singapore, so they can remain strong and continue to feed the nation.
”Hawkers stay on their feet all day long to feed hungry Singaporeans, so they have a great need to keep up their physical strength,” said Anna Jacob, nutrition director at Abbott in Singapore. ”To support hawkers and Singaporeans alike to live life strong, Abbott is helping adults improve their muscle health and encouraging them to take action now. With the help of early identification and intervention supported by good nutrition, people can live fuller lives through their older years.”
The Stand4Strength starter kits will contain ENSURE® sachets, product vouchers and informative leaflets featuring nutrition tips to build physical health.
MUSCLE MATTERS to staying healthy
Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just older people who experience loss of muscle. Beginning at age 40, adults can start to lose up to 8% of muscle tissue every 10 years. As muscle is lost, everyday tasks and daily activities like climbing the stairs or carrying groceries can get more challenging.
Low muscle mass is common among the Singaporean elderly. Based on the SHIELD Study findings conducted by Changi General Hospital (CGH), SingHealth Polyclinics (SHP) and Abbott, 1 in 5 normally nourished elderly (65 years and older) were at risk of low muscle mass and this increases to 4 in 5 elderly who are at risk of malnutrition.
Additionally, data collected from Abbott’s Muscle Age Calculator, a tool that assesses muscle age, show 2 in 5 Singaporeans aged 40-59 have a muscle age older than their biological age.
The SHIELD study revealed older adults who consumed oral nutritional supplements (ONS) with HMB (beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate) such as ENSURE® Life, along with dietary counselling, had improved muscle mass, strength and health.
Over the past three years, Abbott has been rallying Singaporeans to take the Stand4Strength challenge to find out their muscle age, by doing the 5-times-sit-to-stand test and using the ENSURE® Muscle Age Calculator. This year, Singaporeans are invited to post a photo or video on Instagram of themselves and their parents or grandparents doing the 5-times-sit-to-stand test together, share their muscle age in the post caption and tag @ensuresg #Stand4Strength.
When Singaporeans participate in the challenge and post their entry on Instagram with the tags @ensure.sg #Stand4Strength, they stand to win an ENSURE® kit for themselves and support hawker stall owners to receive a free physical and lifestyle assessment, limited to 50 assessments.
Each physical and lifestyle assessment will feature a comprehensive health screening and physical examination by specialist doctors, including screening for risk of sarcopenia, a medical condition characterized by the loss of muscle strength and function that can occur with age.
Visit here to find out more about the Stand4Strength Challenge and discover your muscle age with the ENSURE® Muscle Age Calculator.
