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.
Starting young
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.
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.
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.”
