Lifestyle Medicine
What is Lifestyle Medicine?
Lifestyle medicine (LM) is a medical discipline that uses evidence-based therapeutic lifestyle interventions as a primary modality to prevent, treat and reverse chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. LM uses a multidisciplinary, whole-person approach through the modification of behavioural, environmental and social determinants. The key LM principles include strategies that optimize health behaviours, addressing the underlying biological causes and the pathophysiology common to lifestyle-related diseases (LRDs) like low-grade systemic inflammation, dysregulated stress axis and metabolic dysfunctions.
The Six Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine
Nutrition– Whole food, plant-predominant diet is research-proven to prevent, treat & reverse LRDs.
Physical activity– Consistent physical activity is important for overall health & well-being.
Restorative sleep- Adequate & good quality sleep is essential for mental & physical recovery, weight management, insulin resistance, focus and mood.
Stress management– Stress has a proven role in various mental & physical illnesses such as anxiety, depression and heart diseases.
Minimising risky substances– The use of tobacco and excess alcohol has been shown to increase the risk of various diseases and death.
Social connections– Studies have shown that healthy relationships & positive social connections have beneficial effects on human well-being.
The global burden of chronic lifestyle diseases like obesity, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease is rising at an alarming rate. According to World Health Organisation chronic diseases are responsible for approximately 70% of all deaths globally. In high-income countries, chronic diseases account for up to 80% of healthcare spending.
According to the International Diabetes Federation report, approximately 537 million adults were living with diabetes globally in 2021. This number is expected to rise to 643 million by 2030 and 783 million by 2045. Almost half the adults living with diabetes are still undiagnosed. India is often referred to as the ‘diabetes capital of the world’ as it accounts for 17% of patients with diabetes in the world. Currently, there are close to 80 million people living with diabetes in India and is predicted to increase by 642 million by 2040.
The current model of healthcare is not sustainable and lifestyle medicine offers a lasting solution. With the ever-rising healthcare costs around the world and the burden of chronic diseases, the current healthcare system is not cost-effective for individuals and nations alike. Global healthcare spending was estimated at $8.3 trillion in 2020. According to CMS, healthcare costs for the US alone were $3.8 trillion in 2019. Healthcare costs in India have been rising steadily in recent years, making it more and more unaffordable for the lower and middle-income groups.
The prevalence of chronic diseases is a major contributor to healthcare costs worldwide. Treating the signs & symptoms of these diseases without working on the root cause is not an enduring solution. Lifestyle medicine by addressing the root cause and taking a whole-person approach to prevent, treat and reverse chronic non-communicable diseases offers a sustainable and cost-effective solution. By promoting health behaviour change, LM can help reduce the burden of chronic non-communicable diseases, thereby reducing the healthcare cost and environmental impact of healthcare.