“A non-partisan meeting focused on this issue has the potential to take meaningful action at this critical time.”
St. Louis, MO (PRWEB)
March 17, 2021
The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) today announced its approval of calls for a second White House conference on food, nutrition and health and issued a statement on the relationship between lifestyle and human and planet health.
Fifty-two years ago President Nixon convened the first and still only White House conference on food, nutrition and health. The non-partisan event resulted in recommendations, many of which were implemented, significantly reducing hunger in America. Today, US food and nutrition problems have changed dramatically and have been exacerbated by the pandemic. While more than 14 million households still struggle with food insecurity, obesity and diabetes rates have skyrocketed. Diet-related illnesses are the leading cause of poor health and preventable health issues.
“In its 2019 Global Burden of Disease report, the Institute for Health Metrics and Assessment identified diet as a leading cause of disease and death,” said Susan Benigas, executive director of ACLM. “We have a population that is overfed, undernourished, poor in fiber, poor in nutrients, overweight and bearing the burden of chronic disease. It is estimated that over 60 percent of all adults in the United States struggle with at least one chronic illness, with over 40 percent having two or more, ”she explains. “We cannot stand by and let this go on when we know that what people eat – and what not – is the main cause of illness and death,” Benigas emphasizes.
“We agree with those calling for this conference in the White House. With today’s food system having so much impact on our lives, our economy and our planet, innovative solutions are essential. A bipartisan conference addressing this issue has the potential to take meaningful action at this critical time. “
ACLM has issued the following statement on the relationship of food to human and planet health:
“ACLM recognizes that the root cause of chronic disease and the root cause of so many of our most pressing global sustainability problems are one and the same: our Western nutritional diet. 1-3 Moving to a whole food diet is a plant-based lifestyle ideal to protect human health and fight diseases. 4,5 This feeding pattern is also best for the planet. It enables us to conserve our precious natural resources, curb greenhouse gas emissions, and feed what will soon be over nine billion people on earth. “6-8
Despite the importance of food to human and planetary health, Benigas points out that most doctors and health professionals receive only a few hours of clinical nutrition education during their formal training. To remedy this, ACLM, the medical society that has advocated Food As Medicine since its inception in 2004, recently announced the availability of the first installment of its Food As Medicine course. The entire CME and CE accredited course is designed to provide the dietary lifestyle training proven to be most effective at preventing, treating, and even reversing chronic lifestyle-related diseases.
The course is aimed at a wide variety of clinicians interested in food as medicine: certified doctors, nurses, nurses, medical assistants, dietitians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, and other health professionals working in the prevention or treatment of chronic diseases Health trainer and clinician in training.
To learn more or to register for the course, visit https://www.lifestylemedicine.org/food-as-medicine.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE: ACLM is the country’s medical society dedicated to the advancement and clinical practice of lifestyle medicine as the foundation of a transformed and sustainable health system. Lifestyle medicine is the use of evidence-based therapeutic intervention in lifestyle – including a whole foods diet, plant-dominated eating pattern, regular physical activity, restful sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, and positive social connections – as the primary modality. Delivered by doctors trained and certified in this field for the prevention, treatment and often reversal of chronic diseases.
ACLM is more than a professional association, it is a galvanized force for change. Addressing the need for quality education and certification, ACLM supports its members in their individual practices and in their shared mission to promote lifestyle medicine as the first treatment option as opposed to a first option, symptoms and consequences with expensive, constant increasing amounts to treat pills and procedures. ACLM members agree in their desire to identify and eliminate the root cause of the disease. Learn more at http://www.lifestylemedicine.org.
References:
1. Bodirsky BL, Dietrich JP, Martinelli E. et al. Ongoing diet changes thwart long-term goals for food security, public health and the environment. Sci Rep. 2020; 10 (1): 19778.
2. Clark MA, Springmann M, Hill J., Tilman D. Multiple health and environmental effects of food. Procedure of the National Academy of Sciences. 2019; 116 (46): 23357- 23362.
3. Sáez-Almendros S., Obrador B., Bach-Faig A., Serra-Majem L. Environmental footprints of the Mediterranean compared to Western diets: beyond the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. Environmental health. 2013; 12 (1): 118.
4. Cena H, Calder PC. Defining Healthy Eating: Evidence for the Role of Contemporary Eating Habits in Health and Disease. Nutrient. 2020; 12 (2).
5. Rocha JP, Laster J., Parag B., Shah NU. Multiple Health Benefits and Minimal Risks Associated with Vegetarian Diets. Curr Nutr Rep. 2019; 8 (4): 374- 381.
6. Hayek MN, Harwatt H, Ripple WJ, Mueller ND. The CO2 opportunity cost of animal food production on land. Sustainability in nature. 2021; 4 (1): 21-21; 24
7. Watts N., Amann M., Arnell N. et al. The Lancet Countdown’s 2020 report on Health and Climate Change: Responding to Converging Crises. Lancet. 2021; 397 (10269): 129- 170
8. Katz DL. Plant-based diets to reverse disease and save the planet: past, present and future. Adv Nutr. 2019; 10 (Suppl_4): S304-s307.
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