More years, better years: Why the Amway Healthspan Summit is putting healthspan first

Leng (left) and Prof Nathan (right) both believe education is key to building a healthier community.

WHAT do you imagine life will look like when you’re in your 80s or 90s?

Are you wrapped up in winter clothes gazing at the Northern Lights with your family? Maybe you're dancing with your grandchild at their wedding, or perhaps with friends, sipping on your teh tarik, laughing and reminiscing about the good old days.

Whatever the picture, chances are you’re imagining living – moving freely, thinking clearly, laughing loudly and still saying yes to the things you love, without your body constantly saying no.

And that distinction matters. This is the idea behind “healthspan” – the number of years we live in good health, rather than merely how long we live.

It is also a conversation Amway Malaysia wants more Malaysians to have. The health and wellbeing company brought it to the fore at its recent inaugural Amway Healthspan Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

The event brought together a panel of healthcare professionals, researchers and wellness experts to explore a simple question: How can Malaysians live better for longer?

Why healthspan matters now

Held as part of AM50 – Amway Malaysia’s 50th anniversary – the Amway Healthspan Summit comes at a time when the country is confronting significant health challenges.

“Malaysians are facing not one, but two health crises,” says Amway Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia and Philippines managing director Jason Leng, referring to Malaysia’s rapidly ageing population and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Recent figures from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) project that 16.5% of Malaysia’s population will be aged 60 and above by 2040.

Malaysians are also living longer. As Leng points out, average life expectancy has increased from 72 to 76 years over the past 25 years. But longer life does not necessarily mean healthier life.

According to the 2025 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) on Elderly Health, 68% of seniors are living with at least two of three chronic conditions – hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes.

The challenge is ensuring Malaysians can grow older while remaining healthy, active and independent for as long as possible.

Against this backdrop, the summit turned the conversation towards what Malaysians can do now, exploring the interconnected dimensions of healthy ageing – from gut health and nutrition to cellular health and physical wellbeing.

Preparing for that version of old age doesn’t start when you’re 65.

“Healthy ageing has nothing to do with old people, it's womb to tomb. That's the most important thing to realise, that ageing is across the board,” says Malaysia Healthy Ageing Society (MHAS) president Professor Nathan Vytialingam.

Healthy ageing, he stresses, is a lifelong journey – and not simply a matter of eating your vegetables and squeezing in a morning walk.

“This requires a life-course approach, where we nurture our physical, mental, spiritual, and social wellbeing across every stage of life,” he points out.

That means paying attention to nutrition, staying active, undergoing preventive health checks, making informed lifestyle choices.

Prof Nathan says this also means recognising that a clean environment contributes to healthy ageing.

He cites the five Blue Zones around the world – regions where people are known for their exceptional longevity, as examples of communities that offer valuable lessons on living longer, healthier lives.

“We ask for gradual, consistent, small changes, adjustment in your diet, in your lifestyle, in nutrition intake. That's all we ask for. Something that can sustain for the rest of your life,” Leng says, echoing Prof Nathan’s emphasis on sustainable change.

As Prof Nathan puts it: “There comes a time where you will not be able to do something, and you're dependent, and that's not what you want. You want to be able to do things on your own.”

More than a one-off summit

While the Healthspan Summit may be Amway Malaysia’s first, the health agenda behind it isn’t.

As it marks five decades in the country, its AM50 mission builds on existing efforts in preventive health, education, partnerships and research.

The Amway Healthspan Summit brought together approximately 2,000 participants, experts and stakeholders to explore the science behind healthier ageing and gain practical insights across five interconnected dimensions of healthspan.

Its Mission 50K preventive-health initiative, for instance, has reached 1.8 million people digitally, with more than 60,000 health-screening passes taken up.

“Through Mission 50K, we saw how understanding one’s health can be an important first step towards change. But awareness is only the beginning. Sustaining long-term health requires knowledge, support and consistent action,” Leng notes.

That focus on education also extends to research and partnerships. Amway Malaysia has collaborated with Monash University Malaysia on research related to gut health and cellular ageing, while its partnership with MHAS aims to advance awareness and understanding of healthy ageing.

For Leng, an important part of that effort is ensuring scientific knowledge does not remain confined to researchers and experts.

“At Amway, we believe that the latest cutting-edge discovery in science shouldn't be kept as a best-kept secret in labs or classrooms. It should be shared with the general public.

“It should be practised. It should be applied. The latest discovery in science should be translated into everyday lifestyle choices, wiser choices we make every day to make improvement to our life.”

That is also where the Healthspan Summit fits into the bigger picture – bringing experts and science-backed knowledge together and turning that information into practical guidance Malaysians can apply to their own lives.

“The reason why we organise this summit is because it's one step in a long journey to educate Malaysians. We have to start somewhere,” he adds.

It is a sentiment shared by Prof Nathan, who says education was central to MHAS’ decision to work with Amway on the summit as its strategic knowledge partner.

For him, the hope is that what begins with the more than 2,000 people at the summit will ripple out into their families and the wider community.

During the summit, Global Amway experts also shared insights into its healthspan journey, highlighting how its expertise in phytonutrients and nutrition continues to evolve alongside the growing science of healthier ageing. From left to right: Amway Thailand South-East Asia Research and Development director Dr Janjira Intra, Amway Malaysia Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, and the Philippines chief marketing officer Joanne Chong, and Amway International Inc Global Nutrition associate brand manager Helen VanTongeren.

For Leng, the bigger goal is not simply to act, but to bring others together to drive meaningful change.

“In Amway we feel we have the influence and resources to bring together speakers, experts and brilliant minds to explore what we can achieve together.

That spirit of collaboration was reflected in the summit’s wide-ranging discussions, which explored the interconnected aspects of healthspan.

Dr Jeremy Lim delved into gut health and the microbiome, while Dr Robert Lufkin and Helen VanTongeren explored cellular health and its connection to ageing.

Dr Rajban Singh and Dr Jeswant Dillon shared insights into the habits and factors that can help support health and wellbeing as we age.

A panel discussion rounded off the summit by examining the importance of a more holistic approach to healthy ageing.

For Leng, it all comes down to bringing people together to create a healthier future for Malaysia.

“Instead of fighting our own battles along different paths, we can be the force that unites everyone to make a significant impact on the nation, and ultimately, make Malaysia a healthier country.”

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More years, better years: Why the Amway Healthspan Summit is putting healthspan first

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Leng（左）和 Nathan 教授（右）都认为教育是建设更健康社区的关键。

你想象中自己80岁或90岁时的生活会是什么样子？

你是否裹着冬装，和家人一起欣赏北极光？或许你正和孙辈在婚礼上翩翩起舞，又或许你和朋友们一边啜饮着拉茶，一边欢声笑语，回忆着美好的旧时光。

无论你想象的是什么，你很可能是在想象一种生活——自由行动、思维清晰、开怀大笑，并且仍然对你热爱的事物说“是”，而你的身体不会不断地说“不”。

而这种区别至关重要。这就是“健康寿命”背后的理念——我们健康生活的年数，而不仅仅是我们活了多久。

安利马来西亚也希望更多马来西亚人参与到这个话题的讨论中来。这家健康养生公司在近期于吉隆坡会展中心举行的首届安利健康寿命峰会上，将这一话题推到了风口浪尖。

本次活动汇集了医疗保健专业人士、研究人员和健康专家，共同探讨一个简单的问题：马来西亚人如何才能活得更好、更长寿？

为什么健康寿命现在如此重要

作为安利马来西亚成立 50 周年庆典 AM50 的一部分，安利健康寿命峰会召开之际，正值马来西亚面临重大健康挑战之时。

“马来西亚人面临着双重健康危机，”安利马来西亚、新加坡、文莱、印度尼西亚和菲律宾董事总经理 Jason Leng 表示，他指的是马来西亚人口迅速老龄化和非传染性疾病 (NCD) 日益严重的负担。

马来西亚统计局（DOSM）的最新数据显示，到 2040 年，马来西亚 60 岁及以上人口将占总人口的 16.5%。

马来西亚人的寿命也在延长。正如Leng所指出的，过去25年间，平均预期寿命从72岁增加到76岁。但寿命延长并不一定意味着更健康。

根据 2025 年全国老年人健康与疾病调查 (NHMS) 的数据，68% 的老年人患有高血压、高胆固醇和糖尿病这三种慢性疾病中的至少两种。

挑战在于如何确保马来西亚人能够健康、积极、独立地老去，并尽可能长时间地保持这种状态。

在此背景下，峰会将讨论的焦点转向马来西亚人现在可以做些什么，探讨健康老龄化的各个相互关联层面——从肠道健康和营养到细胞健康和身体健康。

为那种老年生活做准备并不是从65岁开始的。

“健康老龄化与老年人无关，它涵盖从出生到死亡的整个过程。最重要的是要认识到，老龄化是一个普遍的过程，”马来西亚健康老龄化协会（MHAS）主席内森·维蒂亚林甘教授说道。

他强调，健康老龄化是一个终生的过程，而不仅仅是吃蔬菜和挤出时间晨练那么简单。

他指出：“这需要一种贯穿一生的方法，在人生的每个阶段培养我们的身体、心理、精神和社会福祉。”

这意味着要注重营养，保持活跃，定期进行预防性健康检查，做出明智的生活方式选择。

内森教授表示，这也意味着要认识到清洁的环境有助于健康老龄化。

他列举了世界各地的五个“蓝色地带”——这些地区的人们以长寿而闻名——作为例子，说明这些社区如何才能活得更长久、更健康，并能提供宝贵的经验。

“我们要求你们做出循序渐进、持之以恒的小改变，调整饮食、生活方式和营养摄入。这就是我们全部的要求。一些能够终身坚持的改变，”Leng说道，这与Nathan教授强调可持续改变的观点不谋而合。

正如内森教授所说：“总有一天你会无法独立完成某些事情，你会变得依赖他人，而这并非你所愿。你希望能够独立完成事情。”

不仅仅是一次性的峰会

虽然健康寿命峰会可能是安利马来西亚举办的首届峰会，但其背后的健康议程并非如此。

在该国成立五十周年之际，AM50 的使命建立在现有预防保健、教育、合作和研究工作的基础上。

安利健康寿命峰会汇聚了约 2000 名参与者、专家和利益相关者，共同探索健康老龄化背后的科学原理，并从健康寿命的五个相互关联的维度中获得实用见解。

例如，其“Mission 50K”预防保健计划已通过数字化方式覆盖了 180 万人，并发放了超过 6 万张健康筛查通行证。

“通过‘50公里挑战’，我们看到了解自身健康状况是迈向改变的重要第一步。但意识仅仅是开始。维持长期健康需要知识、支持和持续的行动，”Leng指出。

对教育的重视也延伸至研究和合作领域。安利马来西亚与马来西亚莫纳什大学合作开展肠道健康和细胞衰老相关研究，同时与马来西亚健康与人类科学部（MHAS）合作，旨在提升人们对健康老龄化的认识和理解。

对于 Leng 来说，这项工作的一个重要部分是确保科学知识不会仅仅局限于研究人员和专家。

“在安利，我们认为，科学领域的最新前沿发现不应该被当作实验室或教室里的秘密武器。它应该与公众分享。”

“应该付诸实践，应该付诸应用。最新的科学发现应该转化为日常生活中的选择，让我们每天做出更明智的选择，从而改善我们的生活。”

这也是健康寿命峰会融入更大格局的意义所在——将专家和科学知识汇聚一堂，并将这些信息转化为马来西亚人可以应用于自己生活的实用指导。

他补充说：“我们举办这次峰会的原因是，这是教育马来西亚民众漫长征程中的一步。我们必须从某个地方开始。”

内森教授也表达了同样的看法，他表示，教育是MHAS决定与安利合作举办峰会的核心因素，安利是MHAS的战略知识合作伙伴。

对他而言，希望峰会上 2000 多人的行动能够像涟漪一样扩散到他们的家庭和更广泛的社区。

在峰会期间，安利全球专家还分享了其健康长寿之旅的见解，重点介绍了安利在植物营养素和营养方面的专业知识如何随着健康老龄化科学的发展而不断演进。从左至右：安利泰国东南亚研发总监 Janjira Intra 博士、安利马来西亚、新加坡、文莱、印度尼西亚和菲律宾首席营销官 Joanne Chong，以及安利国际公司全球营养品牌副经理 Helen VanTongeren。

对于 Leng 来说，更大的目标不仅仅是采取行动，而是将其他人聚集在一起，推动有意义的变革。

“在安利，我们感到我们拥有影响力和资源，可以将演讲者、专家和杰出人才聚集在一起，探索我们能够共同取得的成就。

这种合作精神体现在峰会的广泛讨论中，讨论探讨了健康寿命的各个相互关联方面。

Jeremy Lim 博士深入研究了肠道健康和微生物组，而 Robert Lufkin 博士和 Helen VanTongeren 则探索了细胞健康及其与衰老的联系。

Rajban Singh 博士和 Jeswant Dillon 博士分享了有助于我们随着年龄增长保持健康和幸福的习惯和因素。

峰会最后以小组讨论的形式落下帷幕，讨论内容探讨了采取更全面方法促进健康老龄化的重要性。

对 Leng 来说，这一切最终都归结于团结各方力量，为马来西亚创造一个更健康的未来。

“与其各自为战，走不同的道路，不如团结所有人，为国家做出重大贡献，最终使马来西亚成为一个更健康的国家。”

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更多岁月，更美好的生活：安利健康寿命峰会为何将健康寿命放在首位

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