ACLM Insider Brief: A view of the political, industrial and economic environment of Lifestyle Medicine

Lifestyle Medicine Insider

August 2019 | Fourth Edition

Lifestyle Medicine Insider , a periodic look into the political, industry and economic environment we face as Lifestyle Medicine pioneers.

Priority Areas - President Dexter Shurney, MD, MBA, MPH, FACLM:

ADVOCACY

ACLM President Dr. Dexter Shurney, Executive Director Susan Benigas, Sr. Director of Communications Jean Tips and representatives of our advocacy firm Alston & Bird conducted a series of meetings July 16 on Capitol Hill with two Congressional members, seven office legislative directors or health policy advisors and a chief of staff, plus three CMS representatives, including the Senior Medical Advisor for Innovation. The purpose was to introduce Lifestyle Medicine and ACLM and to highlight some of the issues our members face in daily practice. The bipartisan reception to our message was positive, and follow-up is underway.

At least 20 speakers testified in favor of a whole food, plant-based diet at the July 11 public hearing of the USDA 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee in Washington, including ACLM Founder and former President Dr. John Kelly and ACLM Board member Dr. Ted Barnett. To watch the testimony of each speaker who had three minutes, see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y25aGM547Wk&feature=youtu.be&t=818 or read one DC writer’s take: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-agriculture/2019/07/12/welcome-to-the-2020-diet-wars-680543. We are following up with literature for the committee showing reversal of Type 2 diabetes with food as medicine.

ACLM President Dr. Shurney presented the Population Health Alliance’s professional member webinar on July 17^th, “Building Lifestyle Change into Your PHM Program.” ACLM recently became a member of PHA. Shurney also was also featured on the Healthcare Transformation Task Force’s June 13th Webinar, “The Role of Lifestyle Medicine in Health Care Transformation.”

EDUCATION

Last fall, ACLM Board Member Dr. Beth Frates' Lifestyle Medicine Handbook debuted, published with ACLM's endorsement. Book Authority's ranking of new medical books recently showcased the handbook as #17 on its top 20 list. This handbook will be a component of the ACLM Lifestyle Medicine pre-professional curriculum that will launch soon. The curriculum will include Dr. Frates’ Lifestyle Medicine syllabus that was posted to ACLM's website a couple of years ago and downloaded nearly 2,000 times since by educators in over 80 countries.

“Establishing Competencies for Physicians who Specialize in the Practice of Lifestyle Medicine” by ACLM Founder and Former President Dr. John Kelly, et.al. has been published at the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. This comprehensive update was drafted through a consensus process with practicing LM physicians to set and promote practice standards.

Metropolitan State University of Denver’s new Lifestyle Medicine Extended Major just graduated its first students, one of whom is combining Traditional Native American healing with Lifestyle Medicine. ACLM member Michelle Tollefson, M.D., associate professor in MSU Denver’s Department of Health Professions, is quoted. http://red.msudenver.edu/2019/healing-in-two-worlds.html

MEDIA

A recently published commentary by Dr. Dean Ornish not only provides a comprehensive rebuttal to a critic about nutrition, but thoroughly documents his evidence-based career's work. https://www.medpagetoday.com/cardiology/prevention/80916

Are nutritional psychologists the new health coaches? https://thepapergown.zocdoc.com/nutritional-psychiatry/ the nutritional psychologist

ACLM 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Dr. John McDougall talks about the benefits of a total plant-based diet for the prevention, treatment, and reversal of disease in this podcast of ACLM member Dr. John Westerdahl’s radio show, “Health and Longevity.” https://lifetalk.net/podcast-episodes/the-best-of-health-and-longevity_-interview-with-dr-john-mcdougall-3/

RESEARCH

Substantial research has been conducted on the therapeutic benefits of time spent in nature, showing that spending time in green spaces lowers cortisol levels and blood pressure. Want a new idea to get patients moving? Check these out: https://parkrxamerica.org/providers/, https://www.agreenrx.com, https://www.drjohnlapuma.com/join_our_community/

We know a whole food, plant-based diet can reverse Type 2 diabetes, so it’s not surprising it can help prevent it. https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/22/health/plant-based-diet-diabetes-study/index.html

At this year’s Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, lifestyle factors were concluded the best—and only—bet now for reducing dementia risk. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/alzheimers-meeting-lifestyle-factors-are-best-and-only-bet-now-for-reducing-dementia-risk/

Other recent dementia studies:
The role of sleep in dementia: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-sleep-dementia-connection/
Greater physical activity was associated with slower cognitive decline...https://t.co/d7rb8AgslK

CORPORATE ROUNDTABLE

Corporate Roundtable members Blue Shield of California, Better Therapeutics and Wellstart collaborated as part of the revamped Solera/BSCA Wellvolution digital platform recently announced to help members prevent, treat and potentially reverse disease through more than 30,000 services and nearly 70 digital health programs. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/blue-shield-of-california-launches-new-digital-therapeutics-platform-to-help-members-prevent-treat-and-potentially-reverse-diseases-300875475.html

Lifestyle Medicine IN COMMUNITIES

ACLM Member Teri Stone’s work in Washington, DC is described in useful detail: “Fresh and Savory: Integrating Teaching Kitchens with Shared Medical Appointments” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31314556/

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