KUALA LUMPUR: The 2nd Malaysian Lifestyle Medicine Conference to be held here next month will focus on the application of Lifestyle Medicine (LM) to reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
The two-day conference themed ‘Lifestyle Medicine: A Prescription For Chronic Diseases’ starting Dec 1 will deliberate on how intervention of LM can help meet the target of the United Nations (UN) Agenda for Sustainable Development in reducing one third of premature mortality from NCDs through prevention and treatment by 2030.
LM is an emerging discipline in healthcare that has the potential to reduce the mortality and morbidity associated with NCDs, Malaysian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (MSLM) founder, president and organiser of the event Dr Sivaneswaran Poobalasingam (pix) said.
It is an evidence-based therapeutic intervention that aims to prevent, treat and reverse chronic diseases by addressing the underlying causes and replacing unhealthy behaviours with positive ones.
Its six core pillars are nutrition which is predominantly plant based, physical activity, management of stress, good social connectivity, restorative sleep and prevention of smoking and alcohol.
“LM intervention has the potential in reducing the probability of death arising from any of the four main NCDs (namely cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases) between the ages of 30 and 70 years by one third by 2030.
“In our global fight against NCDs, I think it is very timely that LM intervention is important and this will be the centre of discussion in our upcoming Malaysian Lifestyle Medicine Conference,“ he told Bernama.
Dr Sivaneswaran, who is on the Advisory Board of the International Journal of Disease Reversal and Prevention said the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the UN in 2015 recognises NCDs as a major public health challenge.
“Sustainable Development Goal 3 includes target 3.4 to reduce premature NCD mortality by one‐third by 2030,“ he said, adding NCDs kill 41 million people each year, equivalent to 74 per cent of all deaths globally.
The conference will be conducted in hybrid format and supported by the Health Ministry.
Among international LM experts who will participate in the conference are T. Colin Campbell, Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University, US; Dr David L. Katz, founder and former director of Yale University’s Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Centre; Dr Beth Frates, President Elect of American College of Lifestyle Medicine and Prof Vimal Karani Professor of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics at the University of Reading.
Highlights of the conference include Lifestyle Medicine and NCDs, role of plant based diets in diabetes, Lifestyle Medicine Group Interventions For Stroke and Lifestyle Medicine Protocols for Obesity.
Participants are entitled to collect 16 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points set by the Malaysian Medical Association.
The event will be held at Berjaya Times Square Hotel and further information can be obtained at https://lifestylemedicinemalaysia.org. - Bernama
