Amway Break GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ Record Title; Rallies Thousands to Raise Awareness of Malnutrition

When Amway™ asked for help in raising awareness about global childhood malnutrition through its Nutrilite™ Power of 5 Campaign, more than 260,000 people across the globe raised their hand to do just that. And they broke a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title in the process.

As a global leader in nutrition research, development and innovation, Amway paired its expertise from Nutrilite™, the world’s number one selling vitamins and dietary supplements brand*, with its passion for helping people live better lives. Amway™ last year launched the Nutrilite™ Power of 5 Campaign to expand the distribution of the Nutrilite™ Little Bits™ supplement. At the time, the micronutrient powder with 15 important vitamins and minerals for children was being distributed in two countries through established programs run by Non-Governmental Organizations. It has since expanded to nine countries and there are plans for more.

Holding “Raise Your Hand” events around the world, Amway pledged a $1 donation to the cause for each handprint collected in the effort to raise awareness of malnutrition and get people involved. This effort resulted in breaking the record for the Largest collage of cutout handprints and raised awareness about this preventable issue.

Michael Empric, GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS adjudicator, confirmed today that of the 260,872 handprints collected, 75,200 met GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS stringent requirements to be included in the official tally – more than double the previous record of 30,006.

“The Nutrilite™ Power of 5 Campaign and effort to directly engage over 260,000 people worldwide to join us in fighting childhood malnutrition highlights what is possible when we issue a call to action,” said Jeff Terry, global manager of corporate social responsibility for Amway. “By getting involved and raising their hands, Amway Business Owners, employees and customers have started a movement that is impacting tens of thousands of children, families and communities. And we are just getting started!”

The announcement of the record took place in Washington D.C. at Founders Council, an annual gathering of top-earning Amway Business Owners, many of whom are engaged in the Nutrilite™ Power of 5 Campaign and specifically participated in “Raise Your Hand” events.

“We are so grateful for the response from people all over the world,” Amway Chairman Steve Van Andel said. “Malnutrition is preventable, and these ‘Raise Your Hand’ events are helping us bring greater awareness and attention to this important issue. Our hope is that more people will become involved in lessening the impact malnutrition has in the lives of so many children and families. Thank you to everyone who raised their hands!”

The collage, taking the form of a tree, is on display at the Nutrilite™ Center for Optimal Health in Buena Park, California. The piece was designed and assembled by Grand Rapids-based artist Georgia Taylor. Visitors will be able to see the collage and know that each print represents a portion of the dollars raised to provide essential nutrients to malnourished children.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 7 million children younger than 5 years old die each year from preventable causes, and malnutrition is the underlying cause of 45 percent of those deaths. When mixed with children’s food once a day, Nutrilite™ Little Bits™ provides malnourished children under 5 the nutrients needed to support their health and to help reach their potential. It was developed based on WHO recommendations for micronutrient powders for children 6 months to 5 years.

While the drive toward a world record is over, the Nutrilite™ Power of 5 Campaign is still going strong. Nutrilite™ Little Bits™ is now distributed in nine countries and that number will grow to 15 by the end of 2016. Last month Amway™ released the Malnutrition Mapping Project. In partnership with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, the digital map and country reports provide easily accessible data on the evolving state of malnutrition in low-, middle- and high-income countries, including the double burden of undernutrition and overweight and obesity.