title: Including lifestyle medicine in undergraduate medical curricula.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Currently, there is no model to integrate the discipline of lifestyle medicine (LM) into undergraduate medical education. Furthermore, there are no guidelines, validated assessment tools, or evaluation or implementation plans in place.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The World Health Organization predicts that by 2020, two-thirds of disease worldwide will be the result of poor lifestyle choices. Fewer than 50% of US primary care physicians routinely provide specific guidance on nutrition, physical activity, or weight control.
  
  
  METHODS
  We are establishing a plan to integrate LM into medical school education in collaboration with the investing stakeholders, including medical school deans and students, medical curriculum developers and researchers, medical societies, governing bodies, and policy institutes. Three planning and strategy meetings are being held to address key areas of focus - with a particular interest in nutrition, physical activity, student self-care, and behavior change - to develop specific implementation guidelines and landmarks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the first two meetings, the proposed areas of focus were determined to be: 1) supporting of deans and key personnel, 2) creation of federal and state policy commitments, 3) use of assessment as a driver of LM, 4) provision of high-quality evidence-based curricular material on an easily navigated site, and 5) engaging student interest. Implementation strategies for each focus area will be addressed in an upcoming planning meeting in early 2015.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This initiative is expected to have important public health implications by efficiently promoting the prevention and treatment of non-communicable chronic disease with a scalable and sustainable model to educate physicians in training and practice.
authors: Institute of Lifestyle Medicine, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Edward
authors: E
authors: Phillips
authors: Institute of Lifestyle Medicine, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Rachele
authors: R
authors: Pojednic
authors: Institute of Lifestyle Medicine, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Rani
authors: R
authors: Polak
authors: LevelSmart Consulting, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Bush
authors: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Greenville, SC, USA; TRILK@greenvillemed.sc.edu.
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Trilk
mesh_terms: D001835:Body Weight; D003479:Curriculum; D004032:Diet; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D015444:Exercise; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D058007:Physicians, Primary Care / Q000193:education*; D057766:Policy
keywords: behavior change; curriculum; lifestyle medicine; physician education; undergraduate medical education
references: JAMA. 2010 Jul 14;304(2):202-3
references: 20628134
references: Am J Prev Med. 2011 Jul;41(1):33-42
references: 21665061
references: Br J Sports Med. 2012 Aug;46(10):709-12
references: 22869788
references: Br J Sports Med. 2014 Feb;48(3):165-7
references: 24311603
references: Prev Med. 2009 Feb;48(2):164-6
references: 19135081
references: Public Health Rep. 2001 May-Jun;116(3):226-34
references: 12034912
references: Bull World Health Organ. 2002;80(12):952-8
references: 12571723
references: J Med Educ. 1975 Jun;50(6):624-6
references: 1133832
references: Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Sep;84(3):655-62
references: 16960182
references: Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 May;99(5 Suppl):1153S-66S
references: 24717343