Evidence-base for Lifestyle Medicine
Statement that reached consensus.
The United States (US) health care system is performing poorly for patients, clinicians, and the overall economy. In 2021, the US spent US$12,914 per person in health care costs—approximately 18% of the gross domestic product, which is the highest per capita spending compared to peer nations analyzed by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Concurrently, average life expectancy in the US has been decreasing since 2014, long before the COVID-19 pandemic, ranking at the bottom compared to reference countries. The US also leads in “excess” mortality; with avoidable deaths worsening three years after the COVID-19 pandemic began despite other countries showing lower mortality.
The concerns just noted suggest that a new paradigm is needed for US health care, one with a foundation of lifestyle medicine (LM) addressing the root causes of chronic diseases that drive morbidity and mortality. LM is the evidence-based practice of engaging individuals and communities with 6 pillars of comprehensive lifestyle change that include healthy eating, physical activity, stress reduction, restorative sleep, positive social connections, and avoiding risky substances. Patients and physicians are often unaware of how LM can prevent, treat, or even reverse, many chronic diseases, including highly prevalent conditions like type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. Consequently, it is imperative to pursue strategies that encourage and support patients in transitioning to the health-promoting behavior patterns implicit in LM.