MANILA, Philippines—Seventy-three-year-old Carl “Sam” Rehnborg, Ph.D., likes to think of himself as not just the walking, but the marathon running, skiing and basketball playing advertisement for the Nutrilite nutritional supplements first developed by his father in 1934.
Rehnborg tells the Inquirer in an interview at his office in the sprawling Nutrilite Health Institute in Buena Park, California that he has been taking Nutrilite vitamins and food supplements since 1936—longer than anybody else—and he wholeheartedly believes this is why he is still in the pink of health.
Dr. Sam has always been into sports. He was once a wide receiver on the football field, a guard on the basketball court and a second baseman on the baseball diamond. He is still known to demolish opponents on the tennis court and can hold his own on the ski slopes. Add to this long list his interests in golf, scuba diving and most recently, Pilates. But it is running that is taking up a good chunk of his schedule these days, and it is a passion that he shares with his wife, Francesca.
Together, they have participated in numerous marathons, including those in New York and Boston. They also go each year to the Honolulu Marathon with the hundreds of independent business owners selling Nutrilite products around the world.
“My wife and I always go out for a run. We can never go out and not come back feeling better after a good run,” says the chemical engineering graduate of Stanford University and holder of doctorate in biophysics from the University of California at Berkeley. “Exercise can really relieve any stress and gives you the energy to face any challenge.”
It is this message of optimal health that Dr. Sam, as president of the Nutrilite Health Institute, passionately shares with everybody, from the students to the independent business owners (IBOs) that form the backbone of the Nutrilite and Amway Corp. organization and the users of the Nutrilite line of food supplements.
He says there is greater urgency to convince more people to adopt a healthier lifestyle that includes exercise and a healthy diet because of the growing incidence of chronic, debilitating diseases such as diabetes. Obesity is likewise a grave concern, especially in the United States.
“I see everywhere the desire for everything instant—instant fitness, instant weight loss,” says Dr. Sam. “It is this whole attitude of everything instant that causes many of the health problems, especially because with computers, everything is at your fingertips.”
Dr. Sam says it never ceases to amaze him that heart disease, cancer and diabetes are affecting more young people these days, which is why he is passionate about preaching the gospel of optimal health.
“The challenge now is to get people to take action, to be responsible for their health,” says Dr. Sam. “We should all adopt a healthy lifestyle as early as possible.”
Dr. Sam is personally bringing this message to the Philippines on Nov. 11 at the SM Mall of Asia. He is the highlight of the Best of Life Health Fair, during which Filipinos can discover what best suits their nutritional needs through bone density, blood pressure, cholesterol and nutritional consultations.
This is part of Nutrilite’s celebration of its 75th year in the business of bringing together “the best of science and the best of nature.” Dominador B. Bonquin, country manager of Amway Corp., parent company of Nutrilite, says Dr. Sam’s visit is a fitting way to celebrate Nutrilite’s 75 years in the nutrition industry.
“It will be great to hear him talk about Nutrilite’s humble beginnings and explain how we are now the world’s leading brand of vitamins, minerals and dietary supplements,” Bonquin tells the Inquirer. With Dr. Sam as the primary endorser, it is not difficult to see how it got there.
