A Step-by-Step Guide to Lifestyle Medicine Certification 

Looking to get certified in lifestyle medicine in 2025? Follow this step-by-step guide to learn about eligibility requirements, exam prep, and how certification matters for your practice and career.

In today’s healthcare climate, patients are demanding more from their clinicians. They don’t just want prescriptions—they want proactive solutions for treating, reversing and preventing chronic disease. That’s why more healthcare professionals are turning to lifestyle medicine. 

By integrating evidence-based lifestyle interventions—optimal nutrition, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, positive social connections and avoidance of risky substances—clinicians are reshaping the future of medicine. And as rates of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity continue to rise, the need for providers trained in lifestyle medicine has never been greater. 

“We’re at a tipping point in healthcare where the solution to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and chronic disease makes healthy lifestyle habits inevitable,” said American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM) Board Member and ACLM Director of Guidelines and Quality Richard Rosenfeld, MD, MPH, MBA, DipABLM. “That’s what lifestyle medicine is all about—sustainable, healthy living.” 

Why Certification Matters 

Lifestyle medicine certification isn’t just a credential—it’s a statement. It signals that a clinician has mastered the science of lifestyle-based interventions and is committed to addressing the root causes of disease. 

“We all know that our modern medical system is ill-equipped to deal with the chronic disease burden we face every day,” said ABLM Board Member Jonathan Bonnet, MD, MPH, FACLM, DipABLM. “Pills and procedures are incredible tools, but they won’t enable us to achieve the health we desire. Lifestyle medicine is the key to treating the root causes of chronic disease and transforming lives. If you believe we can do better as a medical system and society, becoming certified in lifestyle medicine is the right place to start.” 

Today, over 8,000 clinicians worldwide are certified, taking a leading role in reshaping patient care and driving change across the healthcare system. Beyond its immediate impact on patient outcomes, certification is also an opportunity to advance careers and enhance job satisfaction. Healthcare employers increasingly recognize the value of clinicians with lifestyle medicine certification, appreciating the role of root-cause care in reducing healthcare costs and improving long-term health outcomes. 

The Path to Certification 

Clinicians seeking certification in lifestyle medicine can follow one of two pathways: an educational pathway for medical students and residents and an experiential pathway for currently practicing physicians and healthcare professionals and health care professional students. 

The educational pathway is available to those currently in medical training, including residents and fellows participating in the Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum (LMRC), as well as medical students and residents whose programs are approved as educational equivalency pathways. These structured programs integrate lifestyle medicine education into formal training, allowing participants to become eligible to sit for the certification exam upon residency graduation. 

For currently practicing physicians, nurse practitioners, physician associates, registered dietitians, and other healthcare professionals, the experiential pathway provides a structured route to certification through demonstrated clinical experience and continuing medical education (CME).  Master’s and doctoral candidates in approved academic pathway programs can qualify for certification by completing equivalent experiential training. 

The following step-by-step guide outlines the key requirements and milestones for practicing clinicians pursuing certification through the experiential pathway.  

Step 1: Understand the Experiential Pathway Eligibility Requirements 

The ABLM offers certification to licensed physicians. To certify as a Lifestyle Medicine Physician, U.S. physicians must be primary board certified for at least two years by an American Board of Medical Specialties- or American Osteopathic Association-approved board; Canadians must be licensed to practice as a physician. 

The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) offers certification to healthcare professionals. To certify as a Lifestyle Medicine Professional, you must hold a masters’ or doctorate degree in a health discipline. 

Step 2: Complete Your Prerequisites 

Before sitting for the exam, candidates must complete the following continuing medical education (CME) requirements. All CME must be completed within 36 months of the exam date, allowing individuals to begin preparing up to three years in advance. This flexibility helps candidates pace their studies and manage costs in a way that fits their budget. 

Note: Consider becoming an ACLM member to take advantage of discounts on CME/CE/MOC and exam fees. Membership also provides access to a network of lifestyle medicine professionals who can offer valuable support throughout your certification journey. 

30 Hours of Online CME from an Approved Course 

The “Foundations of Lifestyle Medicine Board Review” course fulfills this requirement and provides an evidence-based foundation in lifestyle medicine. For a full list of eligible online CME options, visit ablm.org/eligibility-prerequisites/. 

20 Hours of Event CME from an Approved Event 

Earn live CME at an approved event. ACLM’s annual conference is a premier option, bringing together thousands of professionals for the latest research and practical tools. For a full list of eligible event CME options, ablm.org/eligibility-prerequisites/. 

Case Study (Physicians Only) 

Physician candidates must complete a case study outlining their personal experience with lifestyle medicine. A template is available at ablm.org/eligibility-prerequisites/. 

Step 3: Register for the Exam 

The ABLM administers the lifestyle medicine certification exams for physicians as well as for doctoral and master’s level health professionals on behalf of ACLM. 

The exam is offered annually in late November/ early December, with this year’s test window running from Nov. 22 to Dec. 7, 2025. The registration deadline is Sept. 30 at 6 p.m. PST. To register, visit ablm.org, create an account, and follow the instructions for exam registration. 

Exam Fees

The exam fees range from $1,369 to $1,798, depending on professional category and ACLM membership status.  

Test Site Selection

Once registration closes, candidates will receive an invitation to select a testing location through Prometric and reserve a seat at a preferred testing center. 

Prerequisite Submission

Prerequisites do not need to be completed before registering for the exam. However, proof of credentials and completion of required prerequisites must be submitted to ABLM no later than 30 days before the exam date. 

Important Note: LM2025 (scheduled for Nov. 16-19, 2025) may be used to fulfill the event CME prerequisite, even though it takes place after the prerequisite submission deadline. Attendees should submit their LM2025 CME certificates as soon as possible after the conference. 

Step 4: Prepare for the Exam 

Effective preparation is key to building confidence and readiness on exam day. Begin studying three to six months in advance, depending on schedule and availability. ACLM offers additional resources to help candidates prepare for the exam including the Lifestyle Medicine Question Bank and a members-only group to connect those preparing for the exam. A structured, consistent approach increases the likelihood of success. 

Prior to the exam, review key concepts, but avoid cramming. Instead, focus on reinforcing your understanding of core principles. Adequate rest the night before and a balanced meal on the day of the exam are essential for maintaining focus and mental clarity throughout the test. 

Exam Details 

• The multiple-choice exam consists of 120 questions for healthcare professionals and 150 questions for physicians. All questions are written to the National Board of Medical Examiner standards. 

• Candidates will have four hours to complete the exam. 

• Results are typically made available within 10 to 20 days following the exam. 

Step 6: Celebrate and Look to the Future 

Earning certification as an ABLM diplomate (DipABLM) or an ACLM diplomate (DipACLM) is a significant achievement. Take a moment to celebrate! This milestone marks the beginning of a new chapter in a healthcare professional’s career and reflects an ongoing commitment to improving patient outcomes through lifestyle medicine. 

Shortly after receiving exam results, new diplomates will be invited to join the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) pathway to ensure their certification remains active. As a benefit of membership, ACLM supports diplomate members by providing opportunities to earn complimentary MOC credit to maintain their certification.

Take a Step Toward Meaningful Change

Certification positions clinicians to play a pivotal role in transforming healthcare through evidence-based lifestyle interventions.  

“While it is the fastest growing area of medicine, the reality is we need far more providers delivering this type of care to the people who need it most,” said Dr. Bonnet. “So come join us and let’s change the world.” 

This is an opportunity to make a lasting impact on the future of healthcare. It’s time to take the next step. 

Why get certified in lifestyle medicine? Hear from four clinicians who just did. 

Establishing themselves as lifestyle medicine leaders within their organizations, earning credibility with patients and delivering high-value, whole-person care were among the reasons clinicians said they pursued certification in 2024.  

Physicians and health professionals who passed the 2024 lifestyle medicine exam took LinkedIn by storm in January, announcing their new certification status and celebrating others who joined them as diplomates of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) or American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM).   

Since lifestyle medicine certification launched in 2017, more than 8,000 physicians and other health professionals have earned certification worldwide. ABLM certifies physicians while ACLM certifies health professionals. Lifestyle medicine certification indicates that someone has mastered the science of treating, reversing and preventing chronic disease in an evidence-based manner.  

To celebrate the new diplomates, ACLM asked four clinicians who earned certification in 2024 to share why they chose to pursue it and how they hope certification will impact how they practice medicine or teach and prepare the next generation of health care providers. Their stories differed in details but a common theme was the importance and effectiveness of utilizing ACLM resources to successfully prepare for the exam.  

ACLM offers “Foundations of Lifestyle Medicine Board Review, 4th Edition,” a course that serves as a prerequisite to the certification exam, and includes a 350-page manual, 10 sections, 12 online review lectures by lifestyle medicine experts and 180 review questions (Read testimonials from clinicians who utilized the course here). ACLM also offers the Lifestyle Medicine Question Bank, a compilation of 200 practice questions to help individuals prepare for the exam.  

The deadline to register for the 2025 certification exam is 6 p.m. PST, Sept. 30.  

Barbara A. Slusher, MSW, PA-C, DFAAPA, DipACLM
Rheumatology Physician Assistant
Hope Health Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) 

PA-C Barbara Slusher has found the adage “genetics loads the gun, and lifestyle pulls the trigger” to be true in her rheumatology clinical practice. Growing research linking lifestyle behaviors and risk of autoimmune disease motivated her to earn lifestyle medicine certification. 

As a clinician at a FQHC, Slusher earned a scholarship through ACLM’s Lifestyle Medicine National Training Initiative (NTI) designed to train and certify one primary care provider in lifestyle medicine within each of the nations’ FQHC and community health centers. 

“The financial and administrative support was so beneficial and much needed for a newbie to ACLM and lifestyle medicine concepts,” she said. “The regular NTI meetings helped guide me on next steps to stay focused on the goal of passing the board exam.  I also loved the social aspect of meeting other providers within FQHCs. 

“My education has led me to feel so much more prepared to help my patients find ways to care for themselves and decrease risk of disease flare ups and progression,” she said.  

Slusher views lifestyle medicine and rheumatology as a natural fit for shared medical appointments (SMAs). Her patients have chronic diseases without known cures and are often taking multiple medications with many side effects. SMAs allow clinicians to exponentially increase their impact.  

“I’m still in the brainstorming stage for implementation, but my heart is set on this goal so that we can reach as many individuals as possible,” she said.  

Eliza Ng, MD, MPH, FACOG, DipABLM
Chief Medical Officer
CAIPA, Inc.  

Dr. Eliza Ng knew that something must change. Her professional and personal demands accumulated while her body and mind flashed warning signs that she had to start taking better care of herself. That pressure led her to learn about lifestyle medicine and start incorporating the lifestyle medicine pillars into her daily behaviors.  

“As I practiced lifestyle changes, I came to realize the power of lifestyle change in impacting physical and mental health and work performance,” Dr. Ng said. “My goal became to democratize lifestyle medicine and make it accessible to all.” 

She said the process of earning lifestyle medicine certification helped her become more intentional, engage in lifestyle changes more productively and develop a deeper appreciation for the health benefits. As chief medical officer for an Accountable Care Organization that manages more than 350,000 patients, Dr. Ng said certification signified her high level of competence in the specialty while demonstrating to her stakeholders her commitment to advancing clinical care and quality. She now has the opportunity to lead the integration of lifestyle medicine into population health and chronic disease treatment. 

“With lifestyle medicine, our patients benefit from access to the knowledge and tools to improve their health in a way that gives them a sense of agency and empowerment,” she said.  

Jorge Otañez, MD, DipABLM
Associate Chief Medical Officer
TrueCare 

As a family medicine physician at a Southern California FQHC, Dr. Jorge Otanez sees how chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and obesity disproportionately affect underserved communities. He also understands how barriers, such as limited access to nutritious food, safe spaces for physical activity and stress from economic instability, limit his patients’ healthy lifestyle behaviors. 

“By integrating lifestyle medicine into our FQHC setting, we can empower patients with tools for better health while reducing reliance on medications and costly interventions,” he said. “This approach aligns perfectly with TrueCare’s mission of delivering high-quality, whole-person care to those who need it most.” 

Dr. Otanez is a recipient of an ACLM Health Equity Achieved through Lifestyle Medicine (HEAL) Initiative Scholarship that supports medical professionals who are working to reduce lifestyle-related chronic disease health disparities for high-risk minority and rural-based populations. Certification enhanced his clinical toolkit and his ability to practice self-care. As a result, he was better prepared to empower patients through education, help them become less reliant on medications and improve their quality of life.  

“With chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease driving health care costs and patient suffering, we need a more sustainable and proactive approach,” he said.  

Cheryl Cavaliere PhD, MS, RDN, LDN, DipACLM Lecturer,

Department of Health Sciences
University of Central Florida  

Dr. Cheryl Cavaliere has found that the next generation of health care professionals is energized by delivering health care in a manner that is meaningful to them. That means embodying the healthy lifestyle behaviors that they will encourage patients to embrace into their lives.  

Dr. Cavaliere chose to pursue lifestyle medicine certification to ensure she had the evidence-based knowledge to be a reliable resource for students.  

“Directly, the credentials signify an evidence-based knowledge and skill set for addressing the six pillars of health,” she said. “Indirectly, I believe patients and the public view the credentials as a practitioner who cares deeply about patient well-being. While the challenges in health care are real and will not be resolved overnight, this is something that each provider and practitioner can do today to make a small but tangible difference.” 

Her students integrate aspects of the lifestyle medicine pillars into their lives. Some are following a more plant-based eating pattern. Some have added runs or walks to their routines. Others meditate regularly or have stopped smoking. The students are aware that each pillar applied to their lives builds credibility with future patients while improving their own health.  

“I feel that the certification process is an important part of moving health care forward and establishing behavior modification as the gold standard in first-line treatment,” she said.  

ACLM, Aspen Institute event highlights food as medicine for type 2 diabetes treatment and prevention 

A white paper summary is planned about the two-day event that highlighted the value of multi-level partnerships between healthcare and community sectors to properly and effectively address type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions.

Event attendees

American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) was thrilled to partner in January with the Aspen Institute Food & Society team to host the “Food is Medicine and Diabetes Convening.” The two-day event in Tulsa, Okla. showcased innovations at the vital intersection of “clinical” and “community” in advancing Food as/is Medicine (FAM) approaches to treat, prevent, and even achieve remission of type 2 diabetes. This convening was supported through a generous donation from the Ardmore Institute of Health (AIH) and supplemented by the Coretz Family Foundation. 

Type 2 diabetes is one of the fastest-growing health conditions in the U.S. and beyond. This burgeoning chronic disease creates human suffering among both adults and children, reduced workforce productivity, clinician burnout, and financial unsustainability for families and the nation as a whole. Something must be done about this preventable, treatable, and reversible problem. Multi-level partnerships between healthcare and community sectors are imperative to properly and effectively address type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions, and this event shone a bright light on some of those innovative partnerships. 

Insights and information shared at the convening will inform the Aspen Institute’s guide on Food Is Medicine for Community Based Organizations. A white paper summary is also planned.

Food bank partnership a key strategy

The event kicked off at the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma with a welcome reception, facilities tour and dinner graciously hosted by Chief Culinary Officer Jeremy Johnson and his amazing staff. This tour gave attendees a great understanding of the food bank’s vital role in supporting community-based food assistance and community enhancement initiatives, as well as highlighted some of the innovative ways that the food bank is making a huge impact on the local community. Partnership with local food banks is a key strategy for supporting food assistance in communities, and there are opportunities to enhance the great work that is already underway to improve the health of communities.  

Making the healthy choice the easy choice 

The second day started with inspirational opening announcements from Executive Director of Food & Society at the Aspen Institute Corby Kummer, Senior Vice President of Ardmore Institute of Health Janet Calhoun, Vice President at University of Oklahoma-Tulsa (OU-Tulsa) Susan Bynum, and ACLM CEO Susan Benigas.  

Longstanding ACLM leader and CEO/Co-founder of the non-profit Kellyn Foundation Meagan Grega, MD, FACLM, DipABLM, led the first session showcasing Kellyn Foundation’s diverse set of initiatives that aim to “make the healthy choice the easy choice.” Kellyn offers various community programs for all ages across the spectrum, from prevention all the way to intensive therapeutic lifestyle intervention for disease treatment and remission. Kellyn is also always looking for ways to enhance its FAM/FIM offerings through opportunities like 1115 Medicare waivers as well as by bringing a FAM lens to the local Meals on Wheels program. Dr. Grega also shared how local food systems and farmers can be part of the solution to address food and nutrition security through the creation of food hubs, where there can be sustainable supply and demand, as well as coordinated distribution across various systems/entities within communities.  

FAM for special populations 

Another long-time ACLM member and Associate Professor of Health Promotion Sciences and Family and Community Medicine at OU-Tulsa Marianna Wetherill, PhD, MPH, RDN/LD, DipACLM, shared her incredible work as the principal investigator of the Nutrition to Optimize, Understand, and Restore Insulin Sensitivity in HIV for Oklahoma (NOURISH-OK) study. The NOURISH-OK study will address important research gaps to inform the development of FAM interventions to support healthy aging for those living with HIV. 

Tracking, measuring and paying for food 

Katie Ettman of Coding4Food, a community-informed initiative aiming to create new Healthcare Common Procedural Coding System (HCPCS) codes to define a spectrum of FAM interventions, shared the organization’s phased approach to getting food tracked, measured and paid for across the healthcare ecosystem by leveraging HCPCs level II codes. The first phase of this work has been to standardize the language of these food access interventions (medically tailored meals, produce prescriptions, medically tailored groceries and healthy groceries) to present to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The next phase will be to standardize skills-based interventions like culinary medicine training.  

The work of Coding4Food is closely connected to the Gravity Project, a national public collaborative that develops consensus-based data standards to improve how we use and share information on social determinants of health (SDOH). Ettman shared two other organizations involved in SDOH work more broadly, including the Partnership to Align Social Care and Sync for Social Needs. You can stay up to date on the work of Coding4Food by subscribing to its email list at here. They also host public calls, which can be accessed here.  

ACLM members and representatives

Shared medical appointment resources 

Shared medical appointments (SMAs) made their debut as a financially viable solution for reaching more patients with FAM interventions efficiently within community-based settings. ACLM President-elect, Michelle Hauser, MD, MS, MPA, FACP, FACLM, DipABLM, Chef, ACLM Board of Directors  Member Mahima Gulati, MD, DipABLM, and ACLM Health System Council member Ajay Joseph, MD, FACC, DipABLM, spoke to various aspects of SMAs. Their presentations included the steps needed to stand up a lifestyle medicine SMA in clinical settings, the importance of supportive patient and provider resources like the free culinary medicine curriculum. They also stressed the value of using return on investment and cost savings examples to ensure leadership support for SMAs, especially in value-based payment arrangements. Other SMA resources mentioned included ACLM’s SMA toolkit and free SMA curricula including AIH’s Full Plate Living program for increasing fiber-filled foods, UC San Diego Health’s SLIM program for weight management and ACLM’s LEADR program for diabetes remission.  

Lifestyle interventions a necessity with or without GLP-1s 

President of the Obesity Medical Association and Chair of ACLM’s GLP-1 Taskforce Lydia Alexander, MD, DipABOM, DipACLM, MFOMA, gave a tour of the complex world of obesity, type 2 diabetes and GLP-1 use. She emphasized the absolute necessity for lifestyle interventions to wrap around and support complex and multi-dimensional lifestyle-related diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes. 

Bolstering local food economies 

Dean and Professor of The Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University Christina Economos, PhD, shared updates on The Delta GREENS (Growing a Resilient, Enriching, Equitable, Nourishing food System) Food is Medicine Project in the Mississippi Delta region. The Delta GREENS FIM Project’s primary goal is to improve health outcomes by bolstering the local food economy and developing an FAM program at the Delta Health Center, which ideally will generate both economic and health benefits for the community. Read more about the project here.  

Value of teaching kitchens and culinary medicine 

Director of Culinary Nutrition at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University David Eisenberg, MD, highlighted the successes of the Teaching Kitchen Collaborative and the explosion of teaching kitchens across the country and world. Many of the kitchens are in medical schools and health systems. He also highlighted the importance of the recently Proposed Nutrition Competencies for Medical Students and Physician Trainees published in JAMA. Dr. Eisenberg pointed out that the OU-Tulsa campus has the first federally funded teaching kitchen in the nation, which was toured during the event and is led by Dr. Wetherill. 

ACLM member Jaclyn Albin, MD, CCMS, DipABLM, showcased the robust culinary medicine program she directs at UT Southwestern, one of the many initiatives she leads. She highlighted several ideas that could support additional FAM solutions, including the use of CTSA funding to support programming or partnering with Cooperative Extension Services to expand educational reach. Her novel approach to community-based SMA delivery at a local church included securing leases for the building space to circumvent Place of Service challenges of delivering healthcare services outside of the clinic walls.   

Also featured in the culinary medicine panel was UCLA Associate Vice Provost for the Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center Wendelin Slusser, MD, MS. During Dr. Slusser’s 30-plus years at UCLA, she has launched many initiatives focused on well-being, including leading one of four academic medical centers taking part in the Teaching Kitchen Research Trial to evaluate the benefits of participating in a teaching kitchen.  

Ajay Joseph, MD, FACC, DipABLM, described his leadership of a lifestyle medicine and culinary medicine program aiming to transform patient care at the Saint Francis Health System in Tulsa. Dr. Joseph hopes to demonstrate with research the cost savings associated with a lifestyle medicine approach to care.  

Food for diabetes 

Director of Nutrition Studies at Stanford Prevention Research Center Christopher Gardner, PhD, known for his involvement in the Netflix Documentary, “You are What you Eat,” offered thought-provoking questions about what science says are the best foods for FAM and diabetes. ACLM offers a FAM for Type 2 Diabetes Remission course to learn more about this topic. New T2D clinical practice guideline coming 

ACLM Senior Director of Research Micaela Karlsen, PhD, MSPH, gave an overview of ACLM’s upcoming clinical practice guideline (CPG), Lifestyle Interventions for Treatment and Remission of Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes in Adults. The guideline will support a range of efforts from clinical integration to advocacy and policy change. This new CPG will accompany ACLM’s other type 2 diabetes resources, including CME/CE courses Remission of Type 2 Diabetes and Reversal of Insulin Resistance, expert consensus statements, and the Diabetes Bill of Rights.  

ACLM Education Committee Chair Melissa Bernstein, RD, FAND, DipACLM, FACLM, rounded out the event with a description of the role of registered dietitians in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes in both clinical and community care settings. 

Power of Partnerships 

A major takeaway from this convening was the power of partnerships for achieving sustainable, scalable and lasting health outcomes for communities. Community-Engaged Lifestyle Medicine as a Framework for Health Equity: Principles for Lifestyle Medicine in Low-Resource Settings – PMC is a 2019 publication from the ACLM group now known as the HEAL (Health Equity Achieved through Lifestyle Medicine) Initiative. The published framework, which has been used to guide ACLM’s HEAL efforts, includes the evidence-based principles of community engagement, cultural competency, and application of multilevel and intersectoral approaches.  

The conclusion of this framework emphasizes the value of bringing groups together in partnership to solve for today’s chronic disease burden: “Sustainable partnerships boosting capacity of lifestyle medicine practitioners and community-based organizations at the national, regional, and local levels are needed, engaging stakeholders to address upstream causes of poverty and increasing grassroots community momentum and ownership of health-building programs.” 

Transforming Healthcare with Lifestyle and Food as Medicine: The Impact of ACLM’s Essentials Course 

The “Lifestyle Medicine and Food as Medicine Essentials” course is transforming healthcare by equipping thousands of clinicians with the knowledge and confidence to address the root causes of disease. From improving clinician well-being at University Hospitals to empowering patients at Atrium Health, this free course is making a tangible impact—and helping drive true health restoration.

The “Lifestyle Medicine and Food as Medicine Essentials” course is empowering thousands of healthcare professionals with the knowledge and confidence to integrate evidence-based lifestyle interventions into their practice—unlocking the potential to address the root causes of disease and drive true health restoration.

Since its launch, more than 56,000 clinicians have registered for the Essentials course. Offered at no cost as part of ACLM’s commitment to the 2022 White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, this initiative aims to train clinicians across the country in lifestyle medicine and food as medicine. The goal? A healthcare system that prioritizes prevention and reversal of disease through nutrition and lifestyle interventions. 

Real-World Impact: How Clinicians Are Using Essentials

The Essentials course isn’t just another online training—it’s a versatile tool that organizations, physicians, and healthcare leaders are creatively applying to improve patient care, enhance clinician well-being, and address public health challenges across the country. 

University Hospitals: Using Essentials to Support Clinician Well-Being

University Hospitals (UH) integrated Essentials as part of a clinician wellness initiative, helping providers improve their own health while gaining the skills to support their patients. Since launching the program, UH has trained more than 2,100 clinicians, representing nearly 10% of its care team. 

Chief Whole Health & Well-Being Officer Francoise Adan, MD, credits the program’s success to strong leadership support, frequent communication, and integration into existing initiatives. Originally introduced as an employee well-being offering, Essentials quickly became a system-wide initiative after securing buy-in from key stakeholders, including top executives. The program was promoted consistently through weekly communications from leadership across multiple departments, ensuring broad visibility and engagement. By aligning Essentials with UH’s existing well-being program, the organization also incentivized participation through its established rewards system, making it easy for clinicians to take advantage of the opportunity. 

What started as a free course has now grown into a thriving community of providers who share stories, successes, and new initiatives inspired by Essentials. Leaders across UH have embraced the program, further amplifying its impact. Reflecting on the program’s success, Dr. Adan encourages others to take the leap. “A few resources are required to get started, but it’s been absolutely wonderful,” she said. “It’s taken on a life of its own. Do it, do it, do it!” 

Kentucky Medical Association: Training Physicians to Improve Public Health

The Kentucky Medical Association (KMA) is leveraging Essentials to train physicians as part of a statewide public health initiative, ensuring a consistent, evidence-based approach to lifestyle medicine. With 80% of chronic diseases and 40% of cancers linked directly to lifestyle choices, KMA recognizes the urgent need to equip physicians with the tools to address these root causes. 

After being elected KMA president, ACLM member Evelyn Montgomery Jones, MD, made improving Kentucky’s health a top priority. In August, she issued an innovative challenge to KMA’s 7,000 members: complete the “Lifestyle Medicine and Food as Medicine Essentials” course and apply its principles in clinical practice. To encourage participation, KMA partnered with ACLM to offer exclusive incentives, including complimentary registrations for ACLM’s 2024 annual conference, the Foundations of Lifestyle Medicine Board Review course, and the Remission of Type 2 Diabetes and Reversal of Insulin Resistance with Lifestyle Medicine course. 

Momentum is building, with KMA already announcing its first prize winners and continuing to drive interest in Essentials. Discussing the initiative’s significance, Dr. Montgomery Jones said “I’m excited to be able to offer this opportunity from ACLM to KMA physicians, especially as we look for ways to improve the health status of our patients and our state.” 

Atrium Health: Empowering Patients Through Education

Andrew Nance, MD, DipABLM, saw firsthand how lifestyle medicine could transform lives, but he also recognized the challenge of equipping patients with the knowledge they needed to take charge of their health. That’s when he turned to the “Lifestyle Medicine and Food as Medicine Essentials” course as a patient education tool. After introducing his patient, Ebony Benjamin, to small, realistic lifestyle changes, he realized she was eager to learn more. He offered her the 5.5-hour course, and to his surprise, she completed it over a single weekend. The course gave her the confidence and knowledge to take her health journey even further—eventually leading her to start a walking group and become a peer support specialist. 

For Dr. Nance, the course provided structured, evidence-based education that reinforced the principles he introduced during his visits. By combining personalized guidance with accessible learning, he empowered Ebony to take ownership of her health—proving that education is a powerful catalyst for lasting lifestyle change. 

Research Confirms the Impact

The Essentials course has shown significant benefits for clinicians. A study published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine found that those who completed the course reported notable improvements in: 

• Knowledge of lifestyle and food as medicine interventions 
• Confidence in discussing and implementing lifestyle medicine in practice 
• Frequency of applying lifestyle medicine principles with patients 

This research reinforces the idea that when clinicians are equipped with the right education and tools, they can more effectively support lifestyle changes that lead to better patient outcomes and help shift healthcare toward a focus on health restoration. 

Getting Started with Essentials

Access to the “Lifestyle Medicine and Food as Medicine Essentials” course remains available for free until September 2025. This is a valuable opportunity for clinicians to enhance their practice and improve patient care with practical, evidence-based lifestyle interventions. Whether you’re an individual provider or part of a healthcare organization, now is the time to explore how this course can help support better health outcomes for patients and the broader community. 

Enroll today or contact us to learn how to deploy the course within your organization. 

The link between alcohol, cancer risk and healthy lifestyle 

The U.S. Surgeon General’s recent advisory on the link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk is an opportunity to engage with patients on the avoidance of risky substances pillar of lifestyle medicine. 

The U.S. Surgeon General’s recent advisory warning of the link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk has opened up conversations about a serious topic that many Americans fail to consider. 

Alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the country, after tobacco use and obesity. While evidence for this connection has been growing over the last four decades, less than half of Americans recognize alcohol as a cancer risk factor. Some of the confusion likely stems from previous conflicting literature implying that low levels of alcohol consumption may have health benefits.  

“Historically, there has been this notion in the medical literature that one or two glasses of alcohol a night is fine or even healthy,” said Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Utah School of Medicine Steve G. Sugden, MD, MPH, MSS, DipABLM, who is working with ACLM to develop an addiction medicine member interest group (MIG). “People have kind of wanted to have both sides of it, to enjoy their drink and be under control of their health, too.”  

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines 2020-2025 on alcohol consumption recommend one drink or less per day for women and two or less for men. Two new recent reports, “Scientific Findings of the Alcohol Intake & Health Study” from the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking, and  “Review of Evidence on Alcohol and Health” from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, will be taken under consideration for the next Dietary Guidelines, due out later this year.  

“The societal confusion is perfectly justified by the mixed messages that have come out,” ACLM Member and Vice President of Research at the American Institute for Cancer Research Nigel Brockton, PhD, said recently. “But “whether it’s red wine, whether it’s liquor, whether it’s beer, they all increase your risk” of cancer. “If you are really concerned about your cancer risk, then you would want to minimize your drinking as much as possible. There is no safe dose.” 

Advisories can have an impact 

Health advisories historically have focused primarily on smoking and tobacco use, but it’s time to expand the definition of risky behaviors and ways of achieving a healthy lifestyle, Dr. Sugden said.  The Surgeon General’s warning gives more credence to the fact that there is a wider range of risky substances to avoid. The Surgeon General has also campaigned for mental health and about the dangers of loneliness and social disconnection. ACLM recently expanded its definition of risky behaviors for the lifestyle medicine pillar of avoidance of risky substances.   

“The Surgeon General’s advice about loneliness has been very well received, and there is an overlap in the rate of substance use among those who feel lonely or experience other mental health conditions,” he said.   

What can clinicians do?   

The advisory presents an opportunity for clinicians to engage with patients on avoidance of risky substances and the other five pillars: optimal nutrition, physical activity, stress management, restorative sleep and positive social connections. 

ACLM offers to members The Lifestyle Medicine Cancer Toolkit, which is both a provider-focused and individual resource. The toolkit focuses on the time points of cancer risk reduction and survivorship for individuals finished with primary treatments. ACLM also has a Cancer MIG with more than 950 members.   

In addition, ACLM also offers a handout on risky substances to help facilitate conversations on risky substances and a video exploring the pillar that are available to members. The handout includes information on 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations for alcohol and establishing SMART Goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound) to help reduce alcohol consumption.   

The full catalog of ACLM complimentary and members-only resources can be accessed here.  

Lifestyle medicine clinicians emerging in leadership positions nationwide   

Lifestyle medicine clinicians are increasingly filling leadership positions in national health organizations and promoting lifestyle medicine throughout those organizations in powerful and systemic ways. 

As principal medical advisor at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research since 2014, Rachel Dolhun, MD, DipABLM, sits at the nexus of Parkinson’s disease research, care and community. She considers it her duty to learn from people who live with Parkinson’s, as well as those who treat them or study the disease. 

Among what she learned was that there is confusion about the best diet or exercise for people with Parkinson’s. She also witnessed the damaging effects of social isolation during the COVID pandemic. To prepare herself to better address those issues, she earned certification in lifestyle medicine in 2022 from the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM).  

Dr. Dolhun is one of a growing number of lifestyle medicine-certified clinicians or American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) members who hold leadership positions within major health organizations. Whereas it was once rare to encounter leaders with foundational knowledge in lifestyle medicine, today lifestyle medicine-trained leaders are found in organizations from coast-to-coast, even worldwide.  

Anyone, regardless of position or title, can lead. But holding a formal leadership position in a health organization can help lifestyle medicine clinicians amplify and integrate the principles of lifestyle medicine in powerful and transformative ways. ACLM will highlight the many ways that lifestyle medicine clinicians are inspiring change through leadership in 2025 as part of its new “Leadership Matters” membership campaign. 

“Aside from educating patients and families with Parkinson’s, I am fortunate to also help educate and train the next generation of Parkinson’s doctors,” Dr. Dolhun said. “I incorporate lifestyle medicine sessions–a missing piece of medical training–into educational programming. And internally, at The Michael J. Fox Foundation, staff can call on me for clinical- and lifestyle-related input as we develop programming and communicate key messages.” 

More lifestyle medicine initiatives 

ACLM members or diplomates have announced lifestyle-related initiatives at organizations where they serve in leadership. For example, American Psychiatric Association President Ramaswamy Viswanathan, MD, DrMedSc, made “Lifestyle for Positive Mental and Physical Health” the theme of his current term. 

During a presentation at the 2024 Mental Health Services Conference, he spoke of his father dying of heart attack when Dr. Viswanathan was two years old, and about his wish for his children not to experience a similar loss. He shared an overview of evidence-based strategies for incorporating lifestyle interventions into community mental health, noting that diet can reduce chronic inflammation, which is associated with depression.

“People with psychiatric illness have poorer physical health and earlier mortality,” Viswanathan said. “We have to promote both their physical and mental health. Lifestyle medicine achieves both.”

Several high-level American Medical Association leaders, including President-elect Bobby Mukkamala, MD, DipABLM, and Board of Trustees Chair Michael Suk, MD, JD, MPH, MBA, DipABLM, are certified in lifestyle medicine. Among the initiatives that Dr. Suk is passionate about is promoting the health benefits of outdoor activities and nature and, as an orthopedic surgeon, integrating the principles of lifestyle medicine into orthopedic care.  

“Leadership positions provide a platform to amplify the principles of lifestyle medicine on a systemic level,” Dr. Suk said. “Leaders can advocate for policies promoting physical activity, better nutrition, and stress management in health care systems and broader communities.”

Advocacy and collaboration 

Having more diplomates and ACLM members in leadership positions strengthens advocacy and spurs new avenues for collaboration. ACLM member and Physical Activity Alliance (PAA) President Mike Stack, BS, ACSM-EP, ACSM-EIM, ACSM-PAPHS, CSCS, FMFA, said advocacy successes through PAA’s “Time to Move” initiative could be transformative for lifestyle medicine. The initiative aims to establish physical activity assessment, prescription and referral as the standard of care in medicine.   

In a significant victory, physical activity vital signs will be required in all certified electronic health records starting in 2027. Now the PAA’s focus shifts to benefits design for supervised exercise therapy.  

“We are poised to unlock a powerful new tool in the lifestyle medicine clinician’s toolbox,” he said. “Leadership isn’t just about guiding—it’s about empowering others to see the potential of lifestyle medicine as the foundation of a better health care system.”  

ACLM member Carrie Jaworski, MD, FAAFP, FACSM, president-elect for the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), said attending a recent PAA meeting exemplified the critical importance of leaders across many organizations sitting at the same table for a common goal.

“While ACSM is my professional home, I value my membership within ACLM as it allows me to have an understanding and appreciation for the work of like-minded partner organizations and demonstrates the importance of collaboration,” she said. “I hope to create bridges between groups in order to make the work and the time commitments more efficient and effective resulting in greater overall success for all.”  

Leading with passion and purpose  

As momentum for lifestyle medicine grows, more diplomates and members will likely emerge in leadership roles. There are now more than 8,000 lifestyle medicine-certified clinicians worldwide and 14,000 ACLM members. For those aspiring to leadership positions, Stack suggested identifying ways to serve on committees, join advocacy efforts or even get involved in their local communities.  

“Remember, every leader started somewhere,” he said. “Lead with purpose and passion. Build relationships, listen deeply, and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.” 

Dr. Dolhun said, “Say ‘yes’ to as many opportunities as possible to advance your understanding of and experience in lifestyle medicine and to raise awareness of its benefits. Join a Member Interest Group, speak to a community support group, give a Grand Rounds on the topic and connect with other lifestyle medicine clinicians. You can lead from any seat!”  

Planning a legacy in lifestyle medicine 

Dr. Beth Frates and her husband Jim have established a planned gift for ACLM so they can continue to support the organization and the field of lifestyle medicine after they are gone.

Many people reach a time in life when they think about the legacy they wish to leave behind. For Beth Frates, MD, FACLM, DipABLM, and her husband, Jim Frates, that moment arrived a few years ago after the last of their four parents died.   

During estate planning, Frates wanted to help ensure the universities and nonprofits they supported during their lives would continue to thrive.   

“We wanted to feel like even when we are gone from this world, the work that we have devoted our careers to would still benefit,” Dr. Frates said.  

Dr. Frates established in their will a planned gift to the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM), the organization she led as president from 2022 to 2024. The gift is intended to support and grow ACLM’s role as the nation’s medical professional society advancing the field of lifestyle medicine as the foundation of a redesigned, high-value and equitable healthcare delivery system. ACLM celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2024. 

“ACLM is profoundly grateful to Beth and Jim Frates for this extraordinary act of generosity and vision,” ACLM CEO Susan Benigas said. “This gift reflects their deep commitment to ACLM and empowering individuals and communities to thrive through evidence-based lifestyle medicine. Their legacy will enable us to innovate our programs and inspire future generations of healthcare leaders in the field.” 

Dr. Frates’s connection to ACLM is as personal as it is professional. She discovered lifestyle medicine after her father suffered a stroke at age 52 when she was 18 years old. Her father transformed his health through lifestyle behavior changes with the help of the Pritikin Centers and Dr. Dean Ornish’s program, among others. He lived another beautiful 27 years and was able to enjoy his children’s weddings and even some of his grandchildren’s graduations from college.   

After his death, Dr. Frates established in her father’s name the Donald A. Pegg Award Student Leadership Award at ACLM. The award recognizes emerging lifestyle medicine leaders with key seed funding to support Lifestyle Medicine Interest Groups (LMIGs) and attendance at ACLM’s annual conference. Dr. Frates founded the nation’s first LMIG at Harvard University in 2008.  

Dr. Frates is hopeful that, by the time their planned gift to ACLM is received, there are LMIGs at every medical school. Every student leader who emerges from an LMIG paves new paths in medical schools and healthcare professional schools and sparks growth and innovation in medical education, she said.   

Dr. Frates has also donated to ACLM her share of proceeds from three books she co-authored—the “Lifestyle Medicine Handbook,” the “Lifestyle Medicine Pocket Guide” and the “Teen Lifestyle Medicine Handbook.” ACLM uses the gift of her proceeds to create more evidence-based lifestyle medicine educational materials that educate other practicing and future physicians and health professionals.  

“Knowing that a gift has legs and keeps on giving is the key, and giving to ACLM accomplishes that,” she said. “Jim and I know that the money we give to ACLM will be used to help advance the practice and art of lifestyle medicine, and that this will impact the lives of thousands of patients. We have faith that our decision will be a powerful one that enables further transformation in healthcare.” 

How ACLM members are promoting lifestyle medicine at the state level 

Members have written articles for newsletters, initiated education projects, sought leadership positions and helped the adoption of policies and directives supporting lifestyle medicine in state medical associations and societies nationwide.

Interest in the use of lifestyle medicine to treat the root causes of chronic disease is rapidly growing in state and regional medical associations nationwide. One reason for that is the determined work of American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) members who have taken the initiative to engage with these organizations to advance lifestyle medicine education and its incorporation into clinical practice. 

Members have leveraged ACLM resources and networking opportunities to write articles for newsletters and journals, led lifestyle medicine education projects, sought leadership positions and initiated efforts to adopt policies and directives supporting lifestyle medicine in state medical organizations. 

“We call ACLM a galvanized force for change because our more than 13,000 members were drawn together by a shared passion for a redesigned healthcare system with a clinical goal of restoring health,” ACLM CEO Susan Benigas said. “Our membership is truly the lifeblood of our organization, and we applaud every member who is taking steps, both big and small, to make our shared vision a reality.” 

Here are four examples of ACLM members initiating change through state medical professional organizations.  

Addressing chronic disease in Kentucky  

ACLM member Evelyn Montgomery Jones, MD, was elected president of the Kentucky Medical Association (KMA) in 2023. She immediately made a priority of improving the health of Kentuckians, noting that 80% of chronic disease and 40% of cancers were directly linked to lifestyle choices. Dr. Jones in August issued an innovative challenge to KMA’s 7,000 members to complete ACLM’s complimentary 5.5-hour CME “Lifestyle Medicine and Food as Medicine Essentials” course. 

For incentives, KMA and ACLM entered individuals who completed the course into a drawing for complimentary virtual registrations to ACLM’s 2024 annual conference, as well as free registrations for ACLM’s “Foundations of Lifestyle Medicine Board Review” course and “Remission of Type 2 Diabetes and Reversal of Insulin Resistance with Lifestyle Medicine” course. KMA has already announced prizes for two physicians and continues to promote interest in the Essentials course.  

“I’m excited to be able to offer this opportunity from ACLM to KMA physicians, especially as we look for ways to improve the health status of our patients and our state,” Dr. Montgomery Jones said.  

New policies and directives in Massachusetts  

In July, the Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) announced the adoption of policies and directives closely aligned with lifestyle medicine. They included the importance of educating physicians and the public about the health and climate benefits of a whole-food, plant-predominant eating pattern, and making such an eating pattern more equitably accessible and affordable. 

ACLM and MMS member Janet Limke, MD, DipABLM, prepared the resolutions for debate in the MMS House of Delegates. The process of drafting, submitting and gaining approval of resolutions is no simple task. Proposed resolutions are published online, comments are solicited and each MMS member, district, caucus and committee can suggest changes or advise whether to adopt or not adopt the proposed policy.  

“Each resolution contains supportive background and research and is expanded and refined along the way,” Dr. Limke said. “I got a lot of feedback first by sharing them with many members I knew who follow a plant-based dietary pattern or are interested in the environment before I submitted them to the entire House of Delegates.” 

She also shared working versions of the resolutions with resident physicians and fellows involved with MSS and was pleased by how many engaged. The enthusiasm of the next generation of doctors inspired her, she said.  

Her advice? “Get involved in your state medical organizations and connect with colleagues from diverse settings,” Dr. Limke said. “Engaging with other colleagues in advocacy efforts to improve the health system is one of many solutions proposed to reduce physician burnout.”  

Treating pediatric obesity in South Carolina 

Blakely Amati, MD, FAAP, DipABLM, and Erin Brackbill, MD, FAAP, DipABLM, are working tirelessly to teach physicians how to address pediatric obesity with lifestyle medicine in South Carolina.  

They started growing interest in lifestyle medicine in 2021 by leading a quality improvement project through the South Carolina Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (SCAAP) and the state quality improvement collaborative Quality Through Technology and Innovation in Pediatrics (QTIP). The project focused on incorporating a lifestyle medicine approach to pediatric obesity within pediatric primary care medical homes.  

As part of the project, participants curated food resources and child-friendly healthy recipes for patients and adjusted patient visit templates to address healthy eating and active living. The project’s positive feedback helped inform the creation of ACLM’s toolkit Beyond the Numbers: A Lifestyle Medicine Approach to Pediatric Obesity, which provides guidance for the evaluation and management of school-aged children and adolescents with overweight and obesity.  

The project’s success led them to create the SCAAP Healthy Lifestyles Subcommittee that is cohosting a learning collaborative involving pediatric obesity, motivational interviewing and applying the six pillars of lifestyle medicine.  

“We have been met with so much enthusiasm from pediatricians looking for new ways to engage with their patients and their community around healthy lifestyle practices,” Dr. Amati said. “It’s been amazing to see the continued interest after the QI workshops ended, the different way providers have incorporated lifestyle medicine principles into their practice, and to see colleagues going on to pursue lifestyle medicine certification themselves.” 

Promoting plant-predominant eating in Indiana 

Throughout her career, Joanne Evans, MEd, RN, PMHCNS-BC, has used the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s  21-day Kickstart Program to promote whole-food, plant-predominant eating patterns for community groups. As the result of her free service, some participants have reported lowering their cholesterol by up to 59 points, while others lost weight and reported improvements in energy and sleep. 

After moving to Indiana, she learned that the Indiana Nurses Association (INA) was soliciting project proposals for 2021 and approached INA leadership about offering her program to members. She led a 90-minute presentation, followed by two or three webinars and blood work, when possible, for nurse participants.  

Positive participant feedback earned Evans an invitation to write an article about the evidence supporting the health benefits of plant-based eating pattern and educational resources for the association’s newsletter, the “Indiana Nurse Association Bulletin.” That gave her an idea: why not tweak the article into different versions and submit it to other state nurse associations nationwide? 

After reaching out to contacts at the American Nurses Association and members from other states in ACLM’s Registered Nurse/Advanced Practice RN Member Interest Group (MIG), she was able to place her article in nursing newsletters in more than 20 other states.  

“I have found that it is important to acknowledge that changing lifestyle behaviors, whether that is how you eat, move or sleep, is not easy,” Dr. Amati said. “Be passionate but not a zealot because that turns people off. That helps with networking and building support for what you hope to accomplish.”  

Join ACLM for access to an array of member benefits and ACLM Connect, a community resource hub where you can connect with other members, engage at ACLM events, collaborate on projects and find shared resources to help you advocate at a state level. 

The Urgent Need to Combat Physical Inactivity 

Physical inactivity has created a public health crisis with far-reaching implications for physical and mental health, including national security. Being more physically active is imperative to creating a more resilient future for generations to come.

An unrecognized crisis is stealthily impacting our health and well-being, and even our national security. Sedentary lifestyle, or physical inactivity and its consequences are significant for individuals and our nation as a whole. Our inactive lifestyles are not just a personal choice but a public health crisis with far-reaching implications. 

 Only 24% of US adults and only 1 in 5 adolescents meet the US Physical Activity Guidelines for aerobic and muscle strengthening activity with existing disparities across income, age, sex, education and race/ethnicity. In terms of our youth, the 2024 United States Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth reported its overall physical activity grade for children and youth remained low at D-, the same grade it received in 2022, the last time a report was made.  Over the past decade, the prevalence of physical inactivity has remained “unacceptably high,” according to a study in The American Journal of Medicine, despite continued efforts to improve fitness at individual and population levels. The ramifications of this inactivity epidemic are staggering in terms of human suffering and financial unsustainability. The growing prevalence of inactivity now even threatens U.S. national security, affecting recruitment eligibility and active-duty readiness. 

Skyrocketing rates of chronic disease such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and mental health disorders are just part of the picture. Studies have found decreased hip mobility as the result of inactivity is one of the main reasons that older people tend to fall, often with catastrophic outcomes. Researchers from UCLA discovered that adults without dementia who spent more time sitting in the day had greater thinning of the medial temporal lobe, an area of the brain that is important for making memories.  

Beyond the toll on individual health, physical inactivity exacts a heavy toll on individuals’ pocketbooks, healthcare systems, and national economies. The World Health Organization estimates that physical inactivity costs global healthcare systems billions annually. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says $117 billion in annual U.S. health care costs are related to low physical activity. 

Lost productivity due to absenteeism and decreased workplace performance further exacerbates the economic strain. Moreover, marginalized communities often bear the brunt of this burden, facing disproportionate barriers to active living infrastructure and other supports for physical activity and suffering from compounded health disparities. 

Physical inactivity is not merely a matter of personal choice; it’s a complex interplay of societal, environmental, and individual factors. From the layout of our communities that discourages walking or cycling to the proliferation of screens that tether us to our seats, today’s landscape is rife with obstacles to an active lifestyle. 

The time to address this crisis is now, and the solutions will require a collective effort that spans governments, communities, businesses, and individuals. It demands a paradigm shift. 

Change will require a whole-of-government approach to instituting policies and structures that tilt the landscape in favor of physical activity. We must reshape our built environments to prioritize movement, recognizing and addressing the social drivers that are barriers to access and safety. Municipal planning should prioritize pedestrian-friendly spaces, cycling lanes, and green areas that invite people to move. Schools must reinstate comprehensive school physical activity programs as a core component of the school day, fostering active habits from an early age and improving student learning and academic performance. Employers can play a pivotal role by promoting healthy physical activity in work environments and policies. Physicians and other health professionals must be trained in exercise prescription and must be reimbursed for integrating assessment, prescription and referral into patient care. Our military must develop and implement evidence-based physical activity programs as part of a team-based approach to improving physical fitness, in order to reduce the incidence and prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries, mental illness, and chronic disease. 

Empowering individuals with knowledge about the benefits of physical activity and providing access to affordable, safe recreational opportunities are also crucial steps. Becoming more active does not need to be overwhelming. Regular physical activity can include sports and other physical activities that move your body and expend energy. Physical activity can even include active transportation like walking to work, gardening, or parking farther away to business entrances. 

Leveraging technology for good can help counteract the sedentary trends it often perpetuates. From fitness apps that gamify exercise to virtual reality experiences that make physical activity immersive and engaging, technology can be a powerful ally in the fight against physical inactivity. 

We must embrace a culture that prioritizes physical activity as an unquestioned cornerstone of health, well-being, and happiness. And this needs to start at the top. 

In honor of National Sports and Fitness Month, in May 2024 more than 400 bipartisan Members of Congress and their staff participated in the Physical Activity Alliance (PAA)’s fourth annual Congressional Physical Activity Challenge, a friendly competition to bring legislative awareness to the issue. The event is just one of the ways the PAA, the nation’s largest coalition dedicated to improving health and well-being through physical activity, is working collaboratively with its members to make the active choice the easy choice.  

ACLM has been supporting the work of the PAA since 2020, sharing information with our members about the PAA’s work and engaging in regular member meetings. We have incorporated the validated exercise vital sign (EVS) into our Lifestyle Medicine Short Form assessment tool and also have connected the PAA with LM clinicians across the country who are incorporating exercise assessment and prescription into clinical practice. We are also leveraging the PAA’s HL7 FHIR interoperability guide, used to facilitate the exchange of electronic health information between systems, in our work to build lifestyle medicine into electronic health records. 

The time for action is now. The stakes are high, but the rewards of a more active, vibrant society are immeasurable. Together, let us rewrite the narrative of physical inactivity, shaping a healthier, more resilient future for generations to come. 

Introducing ACLM’s Brand Refinement: A Vision for the Future

ACLM is introducing a brand refinement strategy to better represent the fast-growing organization as a galvanized force for change in healthcare. Here is what you can expect.

As we reflect on a milestone year and prepare for the years ahead, ACLM is embarking on an exciting journey of brand refinement. This evolution represents our unwavering commitment to advancing lifestyle medicine and positioning it as the standard of care for chronic disease prevention, treatment, and remission.  

Why a Rebrand? 
Lifestyle medicine has gained remarkable momentum, becoming a topic in boardrooms, legislative discussions, media conversations, and, most importantly, clinical practice. This growth calls for an identity that reflects our leadership in this movement while celebrating our shared mission.  

Our refreshed brand honors where we’ve been and where we’re heading, making it a symbol of pride for our members, partners, and diplomates. It represents our collective commitment to creating a whole-person healthcare system that meets the Quintuple Aim by improving patient outcomes and satisfaction, reducing costs, restoring joy to the practice of medicine and creating health equity.  

The Story Behind Our Symbol 
Our logo has always been more than a design—it reflects who we are and what we stand for. The refreshed symbol retains the foundational elements that define ACLM while embracing a forward-looking vision:  

– Six Vibrant Colors: Representing the pillars of lifestyle medicine, they radiate with momentum toward a future where these principles are the standard of care across all disciplines.  

– Hexagonal Structure: A nod to the evidence-based foundation of our work, symbolizing stability and progress.  

– Simple Circles: Reflecting our human-centered approach and the interconnectedness of clinicians, patients, and communities. 

What to Expect
You’ll soon notice the changes across all touchpoints of ACLM’s presence. Here’s what’s coming:  

– New programs and resources: Launching in 2025, these offerings will proudly display our updated branding.  

– Enhanced online presence: Our social media platforms and digital channels will embrace the new look, bringing fresh energy to every interaction.  

– Updated courses and materials: Over time, our accredited courses, tools, and resources will feature the refined logo, ensuring a seamless transition.  

– Wearables and merchandise: Fresh designs will debut in the ACLM store, giving you new ways to represent our mission.  

– Website redesign: The launch of a new, user-optimized website is planned for mid-2025, incorporating the refreshed brand elements, all designed to enhance access to ACLM resources and information.  

A Future Built on a Strong Foundation 
ACLM remains your trusted authority for lifestyle medicine education, research, and clinical support. Our work is grounded in scientific evidence and driven by truth, trust, and passion.  

As we enter this exciting new era, our refined brand captures the spirit of who we are: a dynamic, forward-thinking organization dedicated to equipping clinicians with the tools they need to address the root causes of chronic disease.  

Together, we will continue to advance our shared vision of a healthcare system that transforms lives, bringing healing and hope to patients and providers alike.  

Welcome to the next chapter of ACLM—where we shape the future of healthcare, together.