The "Doha Declaration," prepared by international experts in
lifestyle medicine from 21 countries, articulates a shared global
consensus regarding the importance of lifestyle medicine in
building more sustainable and equitable healthcare systems.
ST.
LOUIS, Mo., May 21, 2024
/PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Leaders in lifestyle medicine from around the
world have announced a formal declaration recognizing the
increasing global burden of non-communicable disease and
establishing a consensus on the critical importance of a lifestyle
medicine approach to building more sustainable and equitable
healthcare systems. The "Doha Declaration," published here, is
being shared during Lifestyle Medicine Week, the annual global
celebration held this year May
18-24.
"The importance of the Doha Declaration is
that we could be an active part of a global change which transforms
health care—how we treat ourselves and our patients, with a method
that is simple, natural and well established."
The declaration grew from the February convening of more than
two dozen international experts in lifestyle medicine from 21
countries at a forum in Qatar to
advocate for the growing medical specialty as an effective approach
to treating noncommunicable chronic disease and transforming health
worldwide. The event was organized by The Institute for Population
Health (IPH) of Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q), the Lifestyle
Medicine Global Alliance (LMGA), and the International Board of
Lifestyle Medicine (IBLM). It was hosted by IPH and included
experts from WCM-Q, the Qatar Ministry of Public Health, the World
Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations (UN), and LMGA.
The declaration is intended for use by lifestyle medicine
medical professional associations and societies worldwide to
effectively articulate a global consensus for lifestyle medicine as
a potential solution to unsatisfactory clinical outcomes, rising
health costs and frustration by patients due to the ineffective
care they receive. Governmental bodies, local and regional public
health agencies, health care and health education institutions,
advocacy groups and research institutions are among the
organizations for which the declaration could support
collaboration.
Noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases,
cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes kill 41 million
people each year, which is 74% of all deaths globally, according to
the World Health Organization. Every year, 17 million people die
from a noncommunicable disease before age 70.
"We have assimilated the science and experienced the results of
non-communicable disease prevention and reversal in individual
patients, groups and communities using lifestyle medicine
therapeutic interventions," the declaration states. "We know that,
when fully applied using the scientific evidence from
multidisciplinary fields currently available, a whole-health
lifestyle medicine approach can improve patient satisfaction,
decrease health care costs, and maximize health outcomes…We find
this inspiring, energizing, and rational. It has become why we do
what we do. It is the new, transformational approach we urge all to
adopt for our world."
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.
Applying the six pillars of lifestyle medicine—a whole-food,
plant-predominant eating pattern, physical activity, restorative
sleep, stress management, positive social connections and avoidance
of risky substances —also provides effective prevention for these
conditions.
"Recognizing lifestyle medicine as a fundamental part of health
care isn't a luxury; it's a necessity," said Ravinder Mamtani, MD, DipABLM, FACLM, vice-chair
of the Lifestyle Medicine Global Alliance Advisory Board, and vice
dean for the Institute for Population Health, Weill Cornell
Medicine-Qatar. "This approach lays the groundwork for easing the
disease burden, reducing health care costs, and enriching the
quality of our lives. The Doha Declaration will be pivotal for
advancing lifestyle medicine globally."
Sandra Lanza, MD, DipIBLM,
president of the Chilean Society of Lifestyle Medicine, called the
declaration "an instrument that allows us to promote health
promotion efforts at the national level, in South America and around the world."
Klára Koncz, MD, DipIBLM, board member for the Hungarian Society
of Preventive and Lifestyle Medicine, said "The importance of
the Doha Declaration is that we could be an active part of a global
change which transforms health care—how we treat ourselves and our
patients, with a method that is simple, natural and well
established."
Lifestyle medicine is a rapidly growing field. Since the
inaugural certification exam in 2017, nearly 6,700 clinicians—5,000
physicians and 1,700 health professionals— worldwide in 75
countries have become certified in lifestyle medicine.
A global impact partnership announced May
14 between Blue Zones and the American College of Lifestyle
Medicine (ACLM) will create an additional certification status:
"Blue Zones-Certified Physician" or "Blue Zones-Certified
Healthcare Professional."
The Blue Zones certification opportunity will debut in early
2025 and be exclusive to physicians and medical professionals
trained and certified in lifestyle medicine by the IBLM. Within the
U.S., this exclusivity will apply to physicians trained and
certified by the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine and
non-physicians by ACLM. Physicians and other health professionals
interested in learning more about earning certification to practice
lifestyle medicine, the prerequisite to the Blue Zones-certified
physician and healthcare professional recognition, may register
their interest here.
ABOUT IBLM
The International Board of Lifestyle Medicine (IBLM) is the global
lifestyle medicine certification body that sets and maintains
standards for assessment and credentialing of physicians and
doctorate/master's level health professionals in evidence-based
lifestyle medicine. Certification as an IBLM diplomate represents
specialized knowledge in the practice of lifestyle medicine and
distinguishes a health professional as having achieved competency
in the field. IBLM is committed to the highest global scientific
standards and proactive innovation to advance lifestyle medicine's
promise of being a vital solution component to the world's
unsustainable epidemic of noncommunicable disease.
ABOUT LMGA
The Lifestyle Medicine Global Alliance (LMGA) represents the
worldwide network of medical professional societies that bring
together physicians and allied health professionals practicing and
learning about the field of lifestyle medicine. The LMGA unites
organizations under one banner for the purpose of collaboration,
sharing of knowledge and best practices, standardization of the
field, advocacy, and to amplify the health restoration story that
lifestyle medicine delivers. Uniting national Lifestyle Medicine
organizations on every continent, the LMGA enables global sharing
of educational and clinical practice resources and sparks
opportunities for synergistic collaboration, where medical
professional leaders of all nations are working together to
decrease the unsustainable global pandemic of non-communicable
disease. The LMGA's vision statement is "A world free of
non-communicable disease."
Media Contact
Agnese Lapsa-Lešinske, Lifestyle Medicine Global Alliance,
37060346264, agnese@lifestylemedicineglobal.org,
https://lifestylemedicineglobal.org/
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SOURCE Lifestyle Medicine Global Alliance