Overview:

The Introduction module helps orient learners to the basics of lifestyle medicine. This module provides answers to the why, what, who, and how behind the specialty. After introducing the six pillars of lifestyle medicine and why they are important to global burdens of disease and planetary health, Unit 1 gives a history of the specialty and explains the pathways to certification. Unit 2 dives deeper into details by explaining the core and expanded competencies through which providers practice lifestyle medicine, as well as examples of how lifestyle medicine at appropriate doses can treat and/or reverse disease, as exemplified by key studies. Unit 3 expands these concepts to population-level impacts, not only understanding how race and environment impact health behaviors, but also how participatory research and equity-promoting policies have the potential to enhance lifestyle medicine’s impact for all members of society. The independent activities for Module 1 are especially important for understanding and applying these introductory concepts, and learners will be asked to complete at least one hour of activities which deal with population-level applications. By the end of Module 1, unit post-tests will demonstrate that learners have completed all expanded competencies for introduction to lifestyle medicine. 

Units:

Unit 1: Overview and History of Lifestyle Medicine 

Unit 2: Evidence for and Positioning of Lifestyle Medicine in Medical Practice

Unit 3: Lifestyle Medicine, Public Health, and Health Equity