Lifestyle Medicine Resources

Updated: December 5, 2023

Lifestyle medicine is a medical specialty that uses therapeutic lifestyle interventions as a primary modality to treat chronic conditions including, but not limited to, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Lifestyle medicine-certified clinicians are trained to apply evidence-based, whole-person, prescriptive lifestyle change to treat and, when used intensively, often reverse such conditions.

American College of Lifestyle Medicine

The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) is the medical professional society providing quality education and certification to those dedicated to clinical and worksite practice of lifestyle medicine as the foundation of a transformed and sustainable health care system.

Lifestyle Medicine Six Pillars

Developed by ACLM, these one-page handouts for patients provide tips for applying the six pillars of lifestyle medicine—a whole-food, plant-predominant eating pattern, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, and positive social connections.

The Lifestyle Medicine & Food as Medicine Essentials Course Bundle for physicians provides a foundational, evidence-based introduction to the field, and focused nutrition education for the prevention and treatment of chronic disease. This course includes three modules, four presentations, and 5.5 hours of content. (Free with code WHC22 as part of the commitment to the White House Conference on Hunger, Health, and Nutrition.)

American Board of Lifestyle Medicine

The American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM) establishes and maintains the standards for assessing and credentialing physicians practicing LM. Certification as an ABLM diplomate signifies specialized knowledge in the practice of LM and distinguishes a physician as having achieved competency in LM. The certification exam was first given in 2017 and currently In Massachusetts, there are forty-nine certified LM physicians.

Rochester Lifestyle Medicine Institute

The Rochester Lifestyle Medicine Institute's evidence-based courses in Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (LM) give practitioners the knowledge and skills to help patients help themselves and take charge of their own health. In the process, practitioners experience a renewed Joy of Practice, less burnout, and earn up to 34 AMA PRA Category Credit(s)™ as well as maintenance of certification (MOC) of the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine (IBLM) and national certification bodies (ABLM, ACLM, BSLM, PCLM, etc.). The courses are provided at a substantially reduced price to medical professionals so you can experience the benefits of the programs and thereby refer your patients to them.

The Institute of Lifestyle Medicine

The Institute of Lifestyle Medicine (ILM) offers concrete tools and training to healthcare professionals, creates resources for patients, conducts research to demonstrate the efficacy of lifestyle interventions, and creates a model for national adoption of lifestyle medicine.

National Diabetes Prevention Program

The National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) is a partnership of public and private organizations working to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. Partners make it easier for people at risk for type 2 diabetes to participate in evidence-based lifestyle change programs to reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes. Learn more about the benefits of joining a lifestyle change program.

Incorporating Lifestyle Medicine into Your Practice

• Q&A: How to Integrate Lifestyle Medicine in Primary Care
  An interview with Meagan L. Grega, MD, DipABLM, FACLM, ABLM Board Member, and Chief Medical Officer at Kellyn Foundation.
• Incorporating Lifestyle Medicine Into Practice: A Prescription for Better Health
  An editorial by Alex McDonald, MD, CAQSM, FAAFP, Southern California Permanente Medical Group.
• Reimbursement and Coding for Lifestyle Medicine-Related Services
  Developed by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
• Incorporating Lifestyle Medicine into Everyday Family Practice
  An implementation guide and resources developed by the American Academy of Family Physicians in 2021.

Other Resources

• Healthy Living Guide 2022/2023, A Digest on Healthy Eating and Healthy Living, Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
• Reframing Childhood Obesity: Cultural Insights on Nutrition, Weight, and Food Systems, Vanderbilt Cultural Contexts of Health and Wellbeing Initiative, 2022.
• "To Slow Health Care Spending, Look To Lifestyle Medicine", Health Affairs Forefront, September 15, 2022.
• “The Potential of Lifestyle Medicine as a High-Value Approach to Address Health Equity”, The Institute for Advancing Health Value Intelligence Brief, September 2022.
• “Lifestyle Medicine Is Truly the Strong Foundation for Modern Health Care”, American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 2020;14(5):468-470.
• “Type 2 Diabetes Remission and Lifestyle Medicine: A Position Statement From the American College of Lifestyle Medicine”, American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 2020;14(4):406-419.
• “Lifestyle Medicine: The Health Promoting Power of Daily Habits and Practices”, American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 2018;12(6):499-512.