What is Lifestyle Medicine &
Why is it Important?
As of 2021, 6 out of 10 people were living with one or more chronic disease, and as many as 4 in 10 people were living with two or more chronic diseases in the United States. To address this epidemic of chronic disease, many healthcare providers have begun to incorporate the concept of lifestyle medicine into their treatment approach.
Lifestyle medicine is a growing specialty of medicine which utilizes evidence-based lifestyle changes as a primary therapeutic modality to prevent, treat, and often reverse chronic disease using 6 key interventions (also known as the 6 pillars): nutrition, exercise, sleep management, stress management, addictive substance management, and social connection. Based in a root cause approach, lifestyle medicine emphasizes lifestyle interventions first for the treatment and remission of chronic diseases, compared to conventional medicine, which typically approaches patient care through pharmacological, diagnostic, and procedural means.
Findings from a 2010 report by the World Economic Forum and CDC highlight the importance of lifestyle medicine and the need for lifestyle interventions as the basis of healthcare. Eight risky lifestyle behaviors are shown to drive the top 15 chronic conditions that comprise 80% of total healthcare costs worldwide. They are poor diet, physical inactivity, smoking, lack of health screenings, poor stress management, insufficient sleep, poor standard of care, and excessive alcohol.
Notably, dietary risks are the leading cause of disability. Research indicates that 45% of deaths from coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and diabetes are directly attributable to suboptimal diets. Given this, it is especially important for clinicians to work with patients to make lifestyle changes to their nutrition and dietary patterns.
Click the “Nutrition” tab to learn about the first pillar of lifestyle medicine, nutrition, and for dietary recommendations based in lifestyle medicine.
Anderson, Kayli. “Nutrition for Prevention and Longevity.” American College of Lifestyle Medicine. 2 June 2025. Lecture.
Collings, Kate. “Introduction to Lifestyle Medicine.” American College of Lifestyle Medicine. 2 June 2025. Lecture.
Lifestyle medicine is a growing specialty of medicine which utilizes evidence-based lifestyle changes as a primary therapeutic modality to prevent, treat, and often reverse chronic disease using 6 key interventions (also known as the 6 pillars): nutrition, exercise, sleep management, stress management, addictive substance management, and social connection. Based in a root cause approach, lifestyle medicine emphasizes lifestyle interventions first for the treatment and remission of chronic diseases, compared to conventional medicine, which typically approaches patient care through pharmacological, diagnostic, and procedural means.
Findings from a 2010 report by the World Economic Forum and CDC highlight the importance of lifestyle medicine and the need for lifestyle interventions as the basis of healthcare. Eight risky lifestyle behaviors are shown to drive the top 15 chronic conditions that comprise 80% of total healthcare costs worldwide. They are poor diet, physical inactivity, smoking, lack of health screenings, poor stress management, insufficient sleep, poor standard of care, and excessive alcohol.
Notably, dietary risks are the leading cause of disability. Research indicates that 45% of deaths from coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and diabetes are directly attributable to suboptimal diets. Given this, it is especially important for clinicians to work with patients to make lifestyle changes to their nutrition and dietary patterns.
Click the “Nutrition” tab to learn about the first pillar of lifestyle medicine, nutrition, and for dietary recommendations based in lifestyle medicine.
Anderson, Kayli. “Nutrition for Prevention and Longevity.” American College of Lifestyle Medicine. 2 June 2025. Lecture.
Collings, Kate. “Introduction to Lifestyle Medicine.” American College of Lifestyle Medicine. 2 June 2025. Lecture.
