What is Lifestyle Medicine?
Lifestyle Medicine is defined as, “The application of environmental, behavioural, medical and motivational principles to the management (including self-care and self-management) of lifestyle-related health problems in a clinical and/or public health setting”.
Or put another way, Lifestyle Medicine provides an interdisciplinary, whole-system approach to the prevention and reversal of chronic and lifestyle-related diseases through the modification of the behavioural, social and environmental drivers.
Lifestyle Medicine is also often described in terms of its ‘6 Pillars’ - diet/nutrition, physical activity, smoking cessation, alcohol harm reduction, sleep and stress, and of course social connection.
In practical terms, Lifestyle Medicine bridges the gap between health promotion and clinical practice. It involves clinicians, public health professionals, healthcare executives, researchers, scientists and educators working together to prevent, manage and treat conditions that result from:
Poor diet or nutrition
Physical inactivity
Smoking
Alcohol overconsumption
Chronic stress and anxiety
Poor or inadequate sleep
Lack of connection to family, friends, community
Social isolation
Loss of culture and identity
Health inequity
Social injustice
And many more influences of society and environment
Lifestyle Medicine is growing in popularity around the world as a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to the challenges faced by our society and our health system.
What to expect from a Lifestyle Medicine consultation.
A General practitioner skilled in Lifestyle Medicine principles will:
Evaluate your personal level of readiness to make a lifestyle change
Guide you towards forming an action plan
Assess your knowledge and confidence levels in applying change
Help you address your motivation and any physical or psychological barriers to change
Provide you with the latest in evidence-based information on diet, exercise, stress, sleep, tobacco risks, alcohol risks
Consider a multidisciplinary team of suitably qualified Allied Health Professionals as part of your health care pathway
Offer you ongoing non-judgemental support through all stages of your change process, through lapses and relapses and ongoing maintenance. Support could be through a combination of consultations, group programs, nurse visits, telephone contact, apps or social media connectedness.
The goal of Lifestyle Medicine is to educate and empower people with the information and tools they need to protect their health and prevent, manage and reverse chronic disease.
To book a Lifestyle Medicine appointment please call the practice on 02 4739 6040 or book online.
