Inaugural lifestyle medicine conference to zero in on growing NCD cases

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 -- The upcoming inaugural Malaysian Lifestyle Medicine (LM) Conference from 4-5 Dec will dwell into non-communicable diseases (NCD), a growing global problem that has been overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years.

Themed ‘Lifestyle Medicine: Redefining Healthcare’ the virtual conference will see the participation of 18 international speakers, and is scheduled to be opened by Malaysian Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Malaysian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (MSLM) founder and president Dr Sivaneswaran Poobalasingam said the conference will not only look into ways how lifestyle medicine can be incorporated in the daily routines but also in the medical curriculum and the training of healthcare professionals in lifestyle medicine.

The conference will also look into the effective implementation of the six core pillars of lifestyle medicine in healthcare - healthy nutrition, physical exercise, stress management, adequate sleep, good social connection, and tobacco cessation and avoidance of substance abuse - that can help prevent chronic diseases. 

“Currently, evidence suggests that poor lifestyle choices are key factors in the pathogenesis of NCDs," he told Bernama.

Lifestyle medicine is an emerging discipline in healthcare that has the potential to address the maladies plaguing mankind besides being an evidence-based lifestyle therapeutic intervention that aims to prevent, treat and reverse chronic disease by addressing the underlying causes.           

Among the topics to be discussed at the conference are: Lifestyle as Medicine From Being Different To Making A Difference; Behaviour Change and Health Coaching to Improve Health Outcomes; Lifestyle Medicine Education and Adding meaning to Lifestyle Medicine. 

Registration for the conference can be made through https://lifestylemedicinemalaysia.org or email: info@lifestylemedicinemalaysia.org.

-- BERNAMA