The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) has released a groundbreaking clinical practice guideline that places lifestyle interventions at the center of care for type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. Published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, “Lifestyle Interventions for Treatment and Remission of Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes in Adults” is the first of its kind to offer a detailed, evidence-based roadmap for using therapeutic lifestyle change as a primary treatment strategy.
With more than half of U.S. adults affected by diabetes or prediabetes, this urgently needed guideline delivers clear, practical recommendations—including health behavior assessments, coaching strategies, and medication de-prescribing protocols—to empower clinicians and patients alike in achieving better outcomes through lifestyle medicine.
Position Statements and Expert Consensus Statements
Lifestyle Medicine Performance Measures:
Kelly JH, Lianov L, Shurney D, et al. Lifestyle Medicine Performance Measures: An Expert Consensus Statement Defining Metrics to Identify Remission or Long-Term Progress Following Lifestyle Medicine Treatment. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 2024:15598276241230237.
Dietary Interventions to Treat Type 2 Diabetes in Adults with a Goal of Remission:
Rosenfeld RM, Kelly JH, Agarwal M, et al. Dietary Interventions to Treat Type 2 Diabetes in Adults with a Goal of Remission: An Expert Consensus Statement from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2022;16(3):342-362.
Lifestyle Medicine Intensivist Competencies:
Kelly JH, Lianov L, Shurney D, et al. Lifestyle Medicine Intensivist Competencies: 2023 Expert Consensus Update. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 2023;18(1):141-149.
Establishing Competencies for Physicians
Kelly J, Karlsen MC, Lianov L. Establishing Competencies for Physicians Who Specialize in the Practice of Lifestyle Medicine. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2020;14(2):150-154.
Type 2 Diabetes Remission and Lifestyle Medicine
Kelly J, Karlsen M, Steinke G. Type 2 Diabetes Remission and Lifestyle Medicine: A Position Statement From the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2020;14(4):406-419.
Health Outcomes and Implementation Research
Role of workplace culture in successful lifestyle medicine implementation: a qualitative case series among health systems in the USA
Neve Durrwachter, Meghan L Ames, Joel Gittelsohn, Tyler A Hemmingson, Melissa M Reznar, Kara L Staffier, Samantha M Sundermeir, Bruce Weeks, Micaela C Karlsen
Editorial: Food As Medicine
Boggild, A. K. (2024). Editorial: Food as Medicine. Frontiers in Nutrition, 11.
Lifestyle Medicine Implementation in 8 Health Systems:
Ames ML, Karlsen MC, Sundermeir SM, et al. Lifestyle Medicine Implementation in 8 Health Systems: Protocol for a Multiple Case Study Investigation. JMIR Res Protoc. 2024;13:e51562.
Commonalities among Dietary Recommendations
Cara KC, Goldman DM, Kollman BK, Amato SS, Tull MD, Karlsen MC. Commonalities among Dietary Recommendations from 2010 to 2021 Clinical Practice Guidelines: A Meta-Epidemiological Study from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Adv Nutr. 2023;14(3):500-515.
Lifestyle Medicine Reimbursement:
Freeman KJ, Grega ML, Friedman SM, et al. Lifestyle Medicine Reimbursement: A Proposal for Policy Priorities Informed by a Cross-Sectional Survey of Lifestyle Medicine Practitioners. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(21).
Lifestyle Medicine Practitioners and Burnout:
Pollard KJ, Gittelsohn J, Patel P, et al. Lifestyle Medicine Practitioners Implementing a Greater Proportion of Lifestyle Medicine Experience Less Burnout. Am J Health Promot. 2023;37(8):1121-1132.
Medication Deprescribing
Bradley MD, Arnold ME, Biskup BG, et al. Medication Deprescribing Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Qualitative Case Series of Lifestyle Medicine Practitioner Protocols. Clin Diabetes. 2023;41(2):163-176.
Lifestyle Medicine and Economics:
Livingston KA, Freeman KJ, Friedman SM, et al. Lifestyle Medicine and Economics: A Proposal for Research Priorities Informed by a Case Series of Disease Reversal. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(21).
Hierarchies of evidence applied to lifestyle Medicine (HEALM):
Katz DL, Karlsen MC, Chung M, et al. Hierarchies of evidence applied to lifestyle Medicine (HEALM): introduction of a strength-of-evidence approach based on a methodological systematic review. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2019;19(1):178.
Education Research
Undergraduate Medical Education:
Trilk JL, Worthman S, Shetty P, et al. Undergraduate Medical Education: Lifestyle Medicine Curriculum Implementation Standards. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 2021;15(5):526-530.
Culinary Medicine Curriculum
Hauser ME, Nordgren JR, Adam M, et al. The First, Comprehensive, Open-Source Culinary Medicine Curriculum for Health Professional Training Programs: A Global Reach. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 2020;14(4):369-373.
Medical Education Transformation:
Rea B, Worthman S, Shetty P, Alexander M, Trilk JL. Medical Education Transformation: Lifestyle Medicine in Undergraduate and Graduate Medical Education, Fellowship, and Continuing Medical Education. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 2021;15(5):514-525.
Review Articles
Type 2 Diabetes and a Low-Fat, Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet
Linke CS, Kelly J, Karlsen M, Pollard K, Trapp C. Type 2 Diabetes Prevention and Management With a Low-Fat, Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet. The Journal of family practice. 2022;71(Suppl 1 Lifestyle):S41-s47.
Lifestyle Medicine Shared Medical Appointments.
Lacagnina S, Tips J, Pauly K, Cara K, Karlsen M. Lifestyle Medicine Shared Medical Appointments. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2021;15(1):23-27.
A Lifestyle Medicine Approach to Medication Deprescribing:
Fields D, Arnold M, Karlsen M, Kelly J. A Lifestyle Medicine Approach to Medication Deprescribing: An Introduction. The Journal of family practice. 2022;71(Suppl 1 Lifestyle):eS100-eS104.
The Need for a Whole Systems Approach to Evidence Evaluation
Katz DL, Karlsen MC. The Need for a Whole Systems Approach to Evidence Evaluation: An Update from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. J Altern Complement Med. 2019;25(S1):S19-s20.
Conference Abstracts
Lifestyle Medicine Shared Medical Appointments
Lifestyle Medicine Interventions for Personal and Planetary Health: The Urgent Need for Action
The Need for a Whole Systems Approach to Evidence Evaluation: An Update from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine