Lifestyle Medicine

Worldwide, the leading causes of death are chronic health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease, and diabetes. The evidence suggests that one of the key factors in the development of incidence of chronic health conditions are lifestyle factors like poor diet, lack of physical activity, chronic stress, lack of social support, and excessive substance use. Lifestyle-related diseases are those in which the physiological changes are "significantly influenced by lifestyle factors and where a change in these... factors can significantly improve prevention and treatment of the disease."

"The world’s population has more and more adopted an ‘unnatural’ environment to which it has not had a chance to adapt physiologically. This leads to numerous biological dysfunctions, probably stemming from a form of low-grade systemic inflammation, which underlies most chronic diseases and risk factors."

What Is Lifestyle Medicine?

Lifestyle Medicine utilizes evidence-based lifestyle changes to prevent, treat, and halt chronic disease progression by focusing on underlying causes. Lifestyle medicine addresses changes in 6 key areas:

• Nutrition: using food as medicine and learning about what to eat and what to avoid.

• Exercise: implementing regular and consistent physical activity.

• Stress: using coping mechanisms and reduction techniques.

• Relationships: improving social connectedness.

• Sleep: sleep hygiene and management to support the immune system.

• Substance Abuse: cessation of alcohol, tobacco, and other substance abuse.

By creating positive lifestyle changes in these areas, the body is protected and allowed time and resources to better heal itself. Lifestyle medicine is person-centered and encourages self-advocacy by providing individuals with tools and knowledge to enact positive change in their everyday lives. It is an inter-disciplinary field that can be used in conjunction with and support of other forms of healthcare, including pharmaceuticals.

REFERENCES

Download of Print Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved May 23, 2020, from https://www.lifestylemedicine.org/ACLM/Tools_and_Resources/Download_of_Print_Resources.aspx

Sagner, M., Katz, D., Egger, G., Lianov, L., Schulz, K.-H., Braman, M., Behbod, B., Phillips, E., Dysinger, W., & Ornish, D. (2014). Lifestyle medicine potential for reversing a world of chronic disease epidemics: From cell to community. International Journal of Clinical Practice, 68(11), 1289–1292. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcp.12509

Photos from canva.