[Pictured: Candidates being briefed by Dr Jill Waalen, proctoring the exam for the IBLM, prior to the commencement of the 4 hour physician exam and the 3 hour professional/practitioner exam.]

The Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (ASLM) has announced that 13 medical doctors, and three PhD/Masters level professionals have been certified by the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine (IBLM). Similarly, another three degree-qualified health practitioners have been certified by the ASLM. This follows their successful completion of the IBLM Board Certification Examination held on Sunday 19 November 2017 in Sydney, Australia.

These newly certified individuals represent the first Australasian cohort of doctors and allied health practitioners trained in a comprehensive Lifestyle Medicine approach to chronic disease management and care. They join the 247 physicians and masters/PhD level clinicians who passed the same exam at the American College of Lifestyle Medicine conference in Tucson Arizona on 26 October 2017.

Immediate Past President of ASLM, Dr Hamish Meldrum explained that the IBLM certification examination, “is an important milestone in the teaching of Lifestyle Medicine and in giving clinicians the knowledge and evidence-based tools for facilitating healthier lives.”

ASLM’s Executive Director, Stephen Penman said, “While Board Certification is not part of the Australasian system of medical recognition, thanks to internationalisation, Board Certification is becoming increasingly understood in Australasia as a US standard and therefore somewhat relevant in other parts of the world. Importantly, to peers and patients, board certification provides recognition of having a sub-specialisation in Lifestyle Medicine.”

ASLM President, Sam Manger explained; “The World Health Report “2002: Reducing risks, promoting healthy life” showed that the death, illness and disability due the major chronic diseases by 2020 will account for 73% of all deaths and 60% of the global burden of disease. Moreover, 79% of the deaths attributed to these diseases occur in the developing countries. Yet only just over 2% of the health budget is spent on public health.”

“In summary,” Manger continued, “we have a health system that is running out of money and squeezed to the limits, trying to control a massive burden of chronic diseases, which has its roots in severely unhealthy lifestyles and social health gaps. We are heading towards some real challenges.”

Lifestyle Medicine, acknowledges these challenges and presents a comprehensive solution, aiming to address the root causes of the problem; the modifiable aspects of the whole person (physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual), health behaviours, environment and circumstances, underpinned by enhancing self-empowerment and self-efficacy to manage and improve health.

The next Board Certification Examination to be held in Australia will take place at the Lifestyle Medicine 2018 conference August 17-19 at the Brisbane Sofitel, Queensland, Australia. Individuals interested in Certification in Lifestyle Medicine are encouraged to find out more at www.lifestylemedicine.org.au/certification.

The Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (ASLM) is a multidisciplinary society working towards improved prevention, management, and treatment of chronic, complex and lifestyle-related conditions. ‘Lifestyle-related’ includes environmental, societal, behavioural and other factors.

ASLM members include GPs and medical specialists, allied health practitioners, public health physicians, educators, and researchers. We advocate for a multidisciplinary, multi-system approach to the chronic and lifestyle-related disease problem and to achieve this we provide professional development pathways for members in Lifestyle Medicine, amongst other initiatives. For more information, please visit www.lifestylemedicine.org.au

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