Lifestyle Medicine a New Weapon in the Fight

Lifestyle Medicine – a New Weapon in the Fight Against Obesity? Dr Sue Kenneally

• Cause the majority of noncommunicable disease Poor lifestyle choices……. • Create 50 -70% of primary care workload • Reduce healthy life expectancy

Current management? ?

Lifestyle Medicine………. the application of environmental, behavioural, medical and motivational principles to the management of lifestyle related health problems in a clinical setting including self-care and self-management ‘From cell to community’

Conventional Medicine…… Lifestyle Medicine…. . Disease oriented Specialised to individual markers Same treatments/protocols Based on symptoms Early detection of disease Doctor is in charge Emphasis is ‘what? ’ Health oriented Looks at root causes Can be individualised Based on systems Preventive approach Patient is in charge Emphasis is ‘why? ’

Primary, secondary and tertiary prevention…. ‘If I had first concentrated on heart disease prevention, rather than saving the lives of 150 people I could have saved the lives of 150 million people’ Professor Christiaan Barnard

If I made a drug…………. . Reduces risk of heart disease, some cancers, diabetes and dementia Improves survival/quality of life, in people with many of these Proven benefits for many mental health problems Associated with increased life expectancy and healthy life expectancy No side effects when taken as prescribed Not taking it is as bad for health as smoking 20 a day Pre-approved by NICE!!!

Disease Determinants DISTAL Environment (Physical, Political, Economic, Socio. Cultural) MEDIAL Stress Anxiety Depression Technology Occupation Relationships Inequality PROXIMAL Diet Inactivity Smoking Alcohol/ Drugs Pollution Sun exposure MARKERS Obesity BP Lipids IGT ALT hs. CRP DISEASE Cancers CHD Stroke Diabetes

Assessing Lifestyle……… Environment Exercise Sleep Sunlight Infections Genetics Stress Diet

10 minute consultation: conventional, within a typical primary care setting In Practice……… Shared medical appointments: Groups of patients discussing aspects of their condition with medical supervision Health retreats/eduventures: taking groups of people out of their situation and living a healthy lifestyle with them, leading by example

Does it work?

The Future………. . 1 Challenges! 2 3 4 Make the message consistent Keep in touch with BSLM Save the date – Saturday 12 th May, first BSLM Wales conference