EMBRACING CHANGE
Lifestyle Medicine : Its Origins , Impact and Future - Part 1
The health care system is at a turning point . Faced with a workforce stretched to capacity , an aging population with increasingly complex chronic conditions and rising health care costs , it ’ s clear that change is not just desirable — it ’ s necessary . Patients are seeking affordable , effective care but are often burdened by the rising cost of life-saving medications , while critical treatments are sometimes delayed or denied . The COVID-19 pandemic has brought these vulnerabilities into light , emphasizing the need for collaboration , innovation and progress in health care .
Lifestyle Medicine ( LM ) complements current practice by addressing the underlying root causes of chronic disease — such as poor diet , lack of physical activity , chronic stress , risky substance use , inadequate sleep and insufficient social connection . LM gives both patients and physicians the tools to reclaim health care . It offers a comprehensive framework not only to manage symptoms but also to prevent and , in many cases , reverse existing chronic diseases . 1 As health care continues to evolve , LM complements what we ’ re already doing in medicine by shifting the focus toward prevention ,
by LESLEY KELLIE , DO , FACP , DIPABLM
whole-person care and sustainable health outcomes . It has the potential to create a healthier , more resilient health care system .
LM traces its roots back to Hippocrates , who said , “ Let food be thy medicine .” The modern concept gained momentum in the late 20th century , when pioneers like Dr . Dean Ornish demonstrated that lifestyle changes could prevent and even reverse chronic diseases ( although only 38 of 45 patients completed the whole five years of his 1998 Lifestyle trial ). The American College of Lifestyle Medicine ( ACLM ), founded in 2004 , formalized LM as a medical discipline , advancing it as an evidence-based approach to combat chronic disease . In June 2024 , ACLM was inducted into the American Medical Association ’ s House of Delegates , marking a pivotal moment in its 20-year history . 1
This professional organization was created to establish LM as the foundational approach to health care , grounded in evidence-based research and scientific rigor , with over 300 LM residency programs and 6,900 + enrollees in 2024 . There are 110 health system member organizations , and more than 70 corporations and organizations are now part of LM . At this time , 3,075 physicians in the U . S . have become board certified in LM , along with 1,263 other health pro-
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