Premier global nutrition company, Herbalife released findings from its Asia Pacific Healthy AgingSurvey, of 6,000 respondents aged 40 and above from Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
The survey sought insights into the aging-related concerns and attitudes of Asia Pacific consumers, and revealed that while the majority of Asia Pacific consumers are concerned about the potential health issues caused by aging and believe that active steps can be taken to help them age healthily, many of them underestimate the importance of nutrition in healthy aging.
“At Herbalife Nutrition, we believe in taking a proactive approach to help people cultivate good nutrition habits, incorporate regular physical activity, consume the right supplements and schedule regular health check-ups for their personal well-being”
Based on the Herbalife Nutrition Asia PacificHealthy Aging Survey findings, nine in 10 respondents are concerned about the potential health issues caused by aging, with 53 percent of respondents citing bone/joint-related, followed by eye-related (46 percent), heart-related (45 percent) and brain-related (44 percent) issues topping their list of concerns. However, despite the high levels of concern, 80 percent of respondents agree that they can take active steps to help age healthily.
Among the steps that the respondents will take to age healthily, engaging in more regular activity emerged as the top choice among 43 percent of respondents. In comparison, only 22 percent of respondents said they will most likely make better nutrition choices, and 8 percent said they will take supplements or go for more regular medical check-ups.
“We are glad to see that the majority of Asia Pacific consumers are aware of the potential health issues caused by aging. However, we are concerned to see that making better nutritional choices takes lower priority on the list of steps that consumers will most likely take to help them improve the quality of their lives as they age,” said Stephen Conchie, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Herbalife Nutrition. “Good nutrition really shouldn’t be just an afterthought, hence there is now a pressing need for us to redouble our efforts to help consumers understand the crucial role of nutrition in enabling healthy aging.”
Besides revealing insights into the aging-related health concerns and the steps that Asia Pacific consumers are most willing to take to prevent them, the survey also uncovered the following:
- When asked about their perception of the state of their own health, the majority – 82 percent of the respondents consider themselves equally healthy or more healthy than others.
- However, for heart, emotional and mental health where early signs of anomalies are not easily detected, they displayed higher levels of confidence in the state of their well-being, with 87 percent, 84 percent and 88 percent of respondents considering themselves equally healthy or more healthy than others respectively, putting them at risk of overestimating the state of their own health.
- Across Asia Pacific, lack of time (46 percent) and lack of motivation (44 percent) were generally seen as the biggest obstacles toward healthy aging.
To provide tips on how Asia Pacific consumers can live a healthy, active life in the long run, with a focus on healthy aging, Herbalife Nutrition launched its eighth Asia Pacific Wellness Tour. Leading the Tour entourage is Dr. John Agwunobi, the Chief Health and Nutrition Officer at Herbalife Nutrition.
“At Herbalife Nutrition, we believe in taking a proactive approach to help people cultivate good nutrition habits, incorporate regular physical activity, consume the right supplements and schedule regular health check-ups for their personal well-being,” said Dr. Agwunobi. “Through the Asia Pacific Wellness Tour, we will impart valuable tips and advice to help people harness the power of nutrition to help them live healthier and happier lives.”
Taking place from September 4 to October 26, the Herbalife Nutrition Asia Pacific Wellness Tour features a series of medical symposia, nutrition talks and health workshops held in cities across Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. During the Tour, members of the Herbalife Nutrition leadership and the Herbalife Nutrition Advisory Board (NAB) will share their expertise on a variety of health-related topics, including the role of good nutrition in healthy aging, metabolism and nutrition, food and nutrition science, as well as sports nutrition and performance.
Herbalife Nutrition experts participating in the Wellness Tour include:
- Dr. Zhen-Yu Chen, an award-winning expert in food and nutritional sciences and the Chair Professor for the Food and Nutritional Sciences Programme at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
- Dr. Chin-Kun Wang, an expert in metabolism and nutrition, who was awarded the National Award of Biomedicine in Taiwan in 2008 for his contribution to medical education.
- Samantha Clayton, Herbalife Nutrition’s Senior Director of Worldwide Sports Performance and Fitness, a former Olympian who also works as a personal trainer and group exercise coach with the American Fitness and Aerobics Association and International Sport Science Association.
- Shyamal Vallabji, Herbalife Nutrition’s Fitness Coach for India, who works closely with professional athletes to help them deliver peak performance at international competitions.
