The Doha Declaration on Lifestyle Medicine: A Global Call to Action
In a world where noncommunicable diseases are responsible for 74% of all deaths globally, the importance of lifestyle medicine as a potential solution cannot be overstated. The recent Doha Declaration on Lifestyle Medicine, signed by medical professional associations and societies worldwide, aims to revolutionize healthcare by promoting a holistic approach to treating chronic conditions.
According to the World Health Organization, noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes claim the lives of 41 million people each year. Shockingly, 17 million people die from these diseases before the age of 70. The Doha Declaration recognizes the urgent need for a paradigm shift in healthcare to address these alarming statistics.
Lifestyle medicine is a medical specialty that focuses on using therapeutic lifestyle interventions as the primary modality to treat chronic conditions like cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. By emphasizing evidence-based lifestyle changes such as a whole-food, plant-predominant eating pattern, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, positive social connections, and avoidance of risky substances, lifestyle medicine aims to not only treat but also prevent these conditions.
The declaration highlights the transformative power of lifestyle medicine in improving patient satisfaction, reducing healthcare costs, and maximizing health outcomes. It calls for a global consensus on the importance of integrating lifestyle medicine into healthcare systems to address the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases.
Key figures in the field of lifestyle medicine have expressed their support for the Doha Declaration. Dr. Ravinder Mamtani, Vice-Chair of the Lifestyle Medicine Global Alliance Advisory Board, emphasized that lifestyle medicine is not a luxury but a necessity in healthcare. He believes that adopting a whole-health lifestyle medicine approach can significantly reduce the disease burden and enhance the quality of life.
Dr. Sandra Lanza, President of the Chilean Society of Lifestyle Medicine, sees the declaration as a tool to promote health promotion efforts at the national and global levels. Dr. Klára Koncz, a board member for the Hungarian Society of Preventive and Lifestyle Medicine, views the declaration as a catalyst for a global transformation in healthcare.
The field of lifestyle medicine is rapidly growing, with nearly 6,700 clinicians worldwide becoming certified in lifestyle medicine since 2017. A recent partnership between Blue Zones and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine will introduce a new certification status for healthcare professionals trained in lifestyle medicine. This initiative aims to further promote the integration of lifestyle medicine into healthcare systems globally.
The International Board of Lifestyle Medicine (IBLM) and the Lifestyle Medicine Global Alliance (LMGA) play crucial roles in setting and maintaining standards for lifestyle medicine certification and promoting collaboration among medical professional societies worldwide. Their vision is to create a world free of noncommunicable diseases through the adoption of lifestyle medicine principles.
In conclusion, the Doha Declaration on Lifestyle Medicine represents a significant step towards transforming healthcare on a global scale. By advocating for the integration of lifestyle medicine into healthcare systems, the declaration aims to improve patient outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and enhance the quality of life for individuals worldwide. It is a call to action for healthcare professionals, policymakers, and organizations to prioritize lifestyle medicine as a fundamental component of healthcare delivery.