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International Experts highlight Lifestyle Medicine Strategies for Weight Management and Obesity Prevention

The European Society of Lifestyle Medicine (ESLM) and Elsevier, a world-leading provider of information solutions have launched the first webinar on Lifestyle Medicine on May 5th 10am EDT – 1600 Central European Time. The webinar aimed at raising awareness for Lifestyle Medicine strategies in weight management and chronic disease and obesity prevention and to improve education of health professionals in order to reduce the burden of lifestyle-related, non-communicable diseases.

The experts, Prof. Carol Garber, Professor of Movement Sciences at Teachers College and President of the American College of Sports Medicine, Prof. Gregory Hand, Professor of Epidemiology and Founding Dean of the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center School of Public Health at West Virginia University an Prof. Yannis Manios, Professor of Nutritional Assessment, Counseling and Health Promotion at Harokopio University highlighted important aspects in the prevention of obesity and lifestyle-related chronic diseases: 

Obesity is the end-result of a chronic positive energy balance and we see that both sides of this balance are affected; energy intake and energy output. Physical activity is at a minimum in our mechanized society and we have to re-invent the wheel to find out ways in which we can introduce the energy-consuming physical activity that once was a prerequisite for survival in our ancestors.  Today, one in two Americans and Europeans is either overweight or obese. Average body mass indices have on average risen by as much as 2–2.5 kg/m2 per decade and is now 30 kg/m2 or higher in some countries. As humans, we are designed to move, yet we have never been more sedentary. Physical activity has decreased drastically over the past century, because of economic growth, digitalization and urbanization. Over 70% of people in much of the modern industrialized world are not achieving adequate levels of health promoting physical activity. The impact of poor lifestyle is not limited to physical diseases but also increases the risk for mental disorders such as depression and anxiety, which is increasing worldwide. 

Patients are often confused by seemingly conflicting health and lifestyle recommendations conveyed through the media. It is vital that health professionals clearly communicate that there is no doubt about the basic constituents of a healthy lifestyle; including daily moderate physical activity, avoidance of tobacco and chronic stress, a diet high in whole plant-based foods and optimized for individual caloric needs. There must be clear communication on the magnitude of benefit(s) possible and the magnitude of lifestyle change necessary to achieve it. These basics can be interpreted in many ways and in a variety of cultural settings. Safe, effective, sustainable and evidence-based lifestyle recommendations must be included in the education and training of health professionals and journalists, so they may in turn be communicated to the general public.

Today, lifestyle-related, chronic diseases (NCDs) and obesity represent a leading threat to human health and development. They are the world’s biggest killers, causing an estimated 35 million deaths each year - 60% of all deaths globally. 

Despite their heavy burden, these diseases are preventable. A large percentage of diabetes and obesity cases could be prevented by eliminating unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, mainly tobacco use, unbalanced diet, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol. Unless addressed, the World Health Organization (WHO) projects that, globally, NCD deaths will increase by 17% over the next ten years. 

Lifestyle medicine is a branch of evidence-based medicine in which comprehensive lifestyle changes (including nutrition, physical activity, stress management, social support and environmental exposures) are used to prevent, treat and reverse the progression of chronic diseases by addressing their underlying causes. Lifestyle medicine interventions include health risk assessment screening, health behavior change counseling and clinical application of lifestyle modifications. Lifestyle medicine is often prescribed in conjunction with pharmacotherapy and other forms of therapy. Lifestyle medicine is an inter-disciplinary field of internal medicine, psychosocial and neurosciences, public and environmental health, and biology. Key principles include prevention strategies that address lifestyle habits, the underlying biological causes (also more distant causes such as urban design initiatives to make cities and neighborhoods more social and conducive to healthier lifestyles), and the pathophysiology common to LRDs (e.g. low-grade systemic inflammation, dysregulated stress axis, metabolic dysfunctions etc.). As such, LM is an adjunct form for prevention and treatment that helps to bridge the best aspects of public health and conventional clinical medicine.