Lifestyle Medicine is on the move in Asia with 120 delegates from around 20 countries assembling in Manila for the 2nd Asian Society of Lifestyle Medicine conference in February 2018, following the inaugural conference in Taipei in 2017. The opening and closing ceremonies were lavish, complete with cultural performances (pictured) and proudly presented by the host country organisation, the Philippine College of Lifestyle Medicine and President, Dr Johann Manez.
The Asian Society is the umbrella organisation for country organisations such as the Korean Association of Lifestyle Medicine, the Malaysian Society and the Philippine College. New societies are forming in India, Japan, Indonesia, China and more. In fact there were sizeable delegations from India and Japan attending the meeting.
In this picture, Dr Brogen Angomcha is speaking for a group of Indian delegates on progress towards establishing an Indian Society during one of the workshop sessions, Dr George Guthrie facilitating.
Our Executive Director, Stephen Penman, was privileged to attend both the 1st and 2nd Asian conferences. He reports, “There has been a lot achieved in a very short space of time. The Asian Society, while quite young itself, provides structure and direction to those wanting to establish societies in their own country. And hosting the annual conference is rotating through the member countries – next year in Seoul.”
Pictured, from left, some board members of the Asian Society; Dr Andy Ng, Dr James Wu, Dr Johann Manez, Prof Jenny Lee, Dr Siva Poobalasingam, Dr Samuel Hansdak and Dr Herb Giebel.
Penman added, “It was especially valuable to swap notes with my counterpart in the Asian Society, Dr Andy Ng, their newly appointed Executive Director (pictured below). This is really an unusually cohesive movement – there must be over 15 societies around the world now and we are all in regular contact – supporting and collaborating with each other. ”
“I think it’s the shared passion in the face of the chronic and lifestyle-related disease crisis. Asian countries are in so much cultural upheaval as they have become attracted to the glamour of all things western, including chain stores selling chemical-laden junk food and empty calories, losing their healthy traditional diets in the process. The more western the diet – the more obesity, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Asia accounts for over half the world’s population so it’s obviously way past crisis level.”
Speakers at the conference included, Dr George Guthrie, President of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, speaking on definitions, standards and creating and sustaining a Lifestyle Medicine organisation, and Dr Wayne Dysinger (pictured) from the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine, speaking on Lifestyle Medicine practice models and the work done to date to develop, competencies, curricula and international board certification for Lifestyle Medicine. Dr Guthrie also spoke on the reality of reversing type 2 diabetes. It is believed that around 50% of new cases of diabetes could be reversed through prompt diet and lifestyle measures.
Highlights were the live video talks from Michael Greger of Nutrition Facts and T Colin Campbell of China Study fame. Dr Hans Diehl, founder of the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) featured throughout the program. The highly effective CHIP program is now available online in Australia and New Zealand – easily available to GPs and their patients for lifestyle intervention.
The post conference included the 3rd sitting of the board exam (prior sittings in Sydney and Tucson) and a CHIP facilitator training workshop.
Finally, here’s the new President of the Asian Society, Prof Jenny Lee (Korea), announcing the 3rd conference to be held in Seoul, South Korea in 2019, and with the help of a wide angle lens, group photo time below!
Congratulations to our friends in the Asian Society and the Philippine College for an excellent conference and grateful thanks for their warm hospitality.
