Can’t attend Lifestyle Medicine 2025 in person? Here is why you should join virtually    

ACLM’s annual conference offers an interactive virtual attendance option with exclusive backstage keynote speaker interviews, virtual networking opportunities, research abstracts, one year of access to recorded presentations and up to 45.25 hours of CE/CME credits.     

By Alex Branch | ACLM Director Communications 

October 2, 2025

Lifestyle Medicine 2025 is nearing capacity for in-person attendance–but that doesn’t mean individuals who can’t make the trip have to miss the premier lifestyle medicine event of the year. 

The American College of Lifestyle Medicine offers a rich, interactive, and flexible way to join its annual conference through virtual attendance. The conference, held this year Nov. 16-19 in Grapevine, Texas, drew about 4,500 attendees virtually and in person last year.  

Virtual attendance features access to keynotes, breakout sessions, virtual networking and more than 200 research abstracts, as well as unique features like exclusive backstage interviews with keynote speakers, a virtual exhibit hall and digital scavenger hunt. Virtual attendees can earn up to 45.25 credit hours of CME, CNE, CPE, CPEU, and CE if claimed within 60 days following the conference, though access to the recorded presentations is available for one year. 

Virtual conference attendance also fulfills the required 20 hours of CE from an approved event to be eligible to take the lifestyle medicine certification exam.  

“The depth and breadth of the content, the caliber of the speakers and accessibility of the world-class faculty made it incredibly enriching,” said Anthea Nwandu, MD, MPH, FACP, DipABLM, of Baltimore, Md., who attended virtually for the first time in 2023. “The virtual format allowed me to engage at my own pace, revisit sessions and still feel connected to the lifestyle medicine community globally.” 

For a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into the virtual broadcast, ACLM asked the conference’s virtual emcee, Jonathan Bonnet, MD, MPH, FAAFP, FACLM, DipABLM, what makes the online experience unique and valuable. 

Q: This is your second year as virtual emcee. What do you enjoy about it?   

A: I had a blast last year creating the videos, interviewing experts, and trying to find ways to engage with the virtual audience. In-person attendance can be challenging—from the travel, to the costs, to the availability, it can be tough! The virtual option solves a lot of that, making it more convenient, affordable, and accessible. Like in-person attendees, the virtual audience wants to learn, network and experience the conference’s energy. We put together some silly promos and do our best to make it fun, energizing and bring them into the lifestyle medicine community, even if they can’t be physically there. 

Q: What do you see as the biggest benefit of virtual attendance?  

A: To me, it’s the flexibility to watch or listen to the content on your schedule. You can still spend half a day with patients or tune in during your administrative time. If you’re busy with kids and family activities, you could watch later at night, listen on the drive to work, or listen while on a walk. There are just a lot more options for how you consume the material that fit nicely into very busy work schedules and lifestyles.  

Q: What are some of your favorite virtual features?   

A: Probably the backstage interviews with the keynote speakers. As soon as they finish their presentation, we steal them for a five-minute backstage Q&A. Last year, it was special to interview a good friend and colleague–and now the ACLM President-elect–Dr. Michelle Hauser. We had served on the ACLM board together and worked in the same clinic for years at the Palo Alto VA. I know how passionate she is about culinary medicine and finding ways to improve access to healthy food and teach people how to create delectable, healthy dishes at home.  

I’m sure the audience appreciated some of the bloopers, too. We had a technical mix-up with the “live” lights. Who would have thought green means off and red means on? That was my fault! Will try and get the colors coordinated this year though! 

Q: How do attendees network in a virtual format? 

A: It’s actually easy! One of the fun things about emceeing last year was hearing from so many people across the world. Many were people I didn’t know before they reached out after seeing me as the emcee. There are countless ways to connect and exchange ideas. You can connect with attendees and speakers through the conference app, over email, through ACLM’s Connect community, and through LinkedIn and other social media outlets. If you are friendly and open, most people are generally happy to connect and exchange ideas.

Any other thoughts to share?  

While anyone can benefit from the virtual attendance, ACLM has made it very convenient and affordable for trainees to attend. They have a special discounted price of $99, as well as scholarships available too. It’s a great way to get exposed to lifestyle medicine and hopefully be inspired to join in-person next year. 

The other aspect of lifestyle medicine that I love is that all this information doesn’t just translate to patient care–it’s information we all can use in our own lives. So even if you join just to take better care of your own health, that’s fantastic! How you apply lifestyle medicine in your own life will eventually spread and permeate the care and advice you provide to others.  

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