Posted By Louise Probst and John Ziegler,
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
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On behalf of the St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition (BHC) and the region’s employers, let us begin by saying thank you to physicians for all that you do for your patients, our employees and our community. St. Louis employers recognize that we are beyond fortunate to have world-class physicians and other medical professionals right here in our own backyard. BHC and its employer members have appreciated our relationship with SLMMS over the past decade and the opportunity it brings to connect and easily gain the physician perspective on issues. Which is why we are reaching out to you now.
While pharmaceuticals and procedures can be lifesaving and always have their time and place, therapeutic lifestyle interventions have curative powers which can lead to a better life for patients and their loved ones, especially to treat and reverse existing chronic disease.
Employers face a serious and significant challenge in supporting the well-being of their workforces and sustaining the level of coverage in their health benefit programs. As you are aware, an epidemic of chronic disease plagues the United
States, in which 60% of Americans have at least one chronic disease and 40% have two or more. Three in four adults are overweight or have obesity.1 It is estimated that almost half
the entire adult population has pre-diabetes or diabetes.2 At the same time, we spend more on health care—about $4.5 trillion annually—than any other high-income country only to achieve
worse health outcomes;3 and often the cost of medications in the U.S. is multiples of the cost for the same medicines in other nations. Employers and their workers carry this burden.
Role of Lifestyle Behaviors in Health
Increasingly, employers recognize that most of their health care spending is related to lifestyle behavior. While incredible
advancements in medicine abound, a recent article in TIME magazine underscores what employers have been learning, “Behavior is a Wonder Drug.”4 It emphasizes the outsized role that lifestyle
behaviors have on health. Genetics may predispose individuals to certain diseases, but lifestyle behaviors related to such things as diet, physical activity, sleep and stress management, as well as the environment and side effects of certain
medications, are believed to contribute to disease at a greater rate.5 BHC members—and most employers—emphasize well-being through a variety of health programs and take action to create
a healthy culture for their employees. We recognize that these programs have failed to move the needle from a population health standpoint. They have not been nearly enough—so we will work to refine and advance innovative worksite well-being
strategies. As medical experts, we value your skill, knowledge and ability to build trusting relationships with patients and their families. You are positioned to help patients understand that many of their health concerns related to their
behaviors. A recent article makes clear that healthspan—one's years of healthy living, which appear to be declining—is just as or more important to people than lifespan.6 People want to live better and longer—not just longer. While pharmaceuticals
and procedures can be lifesaving and always have their time and place, therapeutic lifestyle interventions have curative powers which can lead to a better life for patients and their loved ones, especially to treat and reverse
existing chronic disease.
A recent article makes clear that healthspan—one's years of healthy living, which appear to be declining—is just as or more important to people than lifespan.6
As we learned during the campaign to reduce tobacco use, receiving medical guidance from a trusted health professional is far more impactful than a worksite well-being program. When an individual’s personal physician
shared the message, patients were more successful in kicking the habit. We understand that meaningful change will likely take decades, as it did to reduce tobacco use—which is why we must get started now. Thank you for your commitment
to your patients and to the profession of medicine. We deeply appreciate your partnership and opportunity to bring impactful change. There are no quick fixes to our poor state of health. But if we begin to change the paradigm of health
care now by focusing on these critical lifestyle behaviors, together we can build toward a healthier future for our community.
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| | References
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| 1. | Obesity and Overweight. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/obesity-overweight.htm
| | 2. | National Diabetes Statistics Report. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/data/statistics-report/index.html
| | 3. | Gunja M, Gumas E, Williams R. U.S. Health Care from a Global Perspective, 2022: Accelerating Spending, Worsening Outcomes. The Commonwealth Fund issue brief. Jan. 31, 2023. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2023/ jan/us-health-care-global-perspective-2022
| | 4. | Huffington A. Behavior Is a Miracle Drug for Our Health. TIME. Aug. 31, 2023. https://time.com/6309926/behavior-is-a-miracle-drug-health/
| | 5. | Rappaport S. Genetic Factors Are Not the Major Causes of Chronic Diseases. PLoS One. 2016; 11(4). Apr. 22, 2016. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC4841510/
| | 6. | Janin A. Your Healthspan Is as Important as Your Lifespan—and It’s Declining. The Wall Street Journal. Jan. 17, 2024. https://www.wsj.com/health/wellness/ americans-unhealthy-chronic-disease-3f35c9f5 (subscription required)
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| Introduction to the American College of Lifestyle Medicine
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The St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition (BHC) has recently connected with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM). A national professional society headquartered in Chesterfield, ACLM represents more than 10,000 physicians and other health professionals across all 50 states. ACLM members are united in their dedication to identify and eradicate the root causes of chronic disease, with the clinical outcome goal of health restoration. A query of ACLM’s online search tool to help patients connect with clinicians certified to practice lifestyle medicine returns only about a half-dozen names in the St. Louis area—with few being primary care clinicians. While BHC understands that physicians are well informed on the science that connects lifestyle behaviors to disease progression, we share this information in case the ACLM programs, tools and other resources would be helpful to you and your team.
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| Six Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine
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Who is the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM)?
As the nation’s only medical professional association
representing the interdisciplinary field of lifestyle medicine, ACLM represents a galvanized force for change; members are united in their dedication to identify and eradicate the root causes of chronic disease, with the clinical outcome
goal of health restoration rather than merely disease management. ACLM closes the gap in evidence-based education in lifestyle medicine across the spectrum of pre- and post-professional training.
How does a commitment to lifestyle medicine benefit clinicians?
Lifestyle
medicine can address up to 80% of chronic diseases. A lifestyle medicine approach to population care has the potential to arrest the decades-long rise in the prevalence of chronic conditions and their burdensome costs. Patient and
provider satisfaction often results from a lifestyle medicine approach, which strongly aligns the field with the Quintuple Aim of better health outcomes, lower cost, improved patient satisfaction, improved provider well-being and advancement
of health equity, in addition to its alignment with planetary health. Some evidence suggests that practicing lifestyle medicine can help clinicians avoid burnout by providing increased feelings of accomplishment and meaningfulness.
How prevalent is lifestyle medicine throughout the United States?
Interest in lifestyle medicine is growing. More than 100 health systems nationally, including
notable names like Mayo Clinic, New York Health + Hospitals and Kaiser Permanente, have joined ACLM’s Health Systems Council, a network collaborating on the systematic implementation of lifestyle medicine. Locally, Barnes-Jewish
Hospital/Washington University and Mercy Hospital St. Louis are members. Almost 6,700 physicians and other health professionals worldwide have earned certification in lifestyle medicine since it was first offered in 2017.
How can I become involved with ACLM?
ACLM, in support of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, is providing 5.5 complimentary hours of
continuing medical education in lifestyle medicine and food as medicine to 200,000 health professionals. Already, 34,000 have taken advantage of the offer and signed up. It’s an excellent first step to explore the field,
establish a foundation of knowledge and see if lifestyle medicine appeals to you. ACLM also offers an extensive list of expert-led and created lifestyle medicine courses and curricular resources across the education spectrum.
ACLM also hosts an annual conference that draws more than 3,200 physicians, health professionals and health system leaders. The conference includes practical “how-to” sessions on integrating lifestyle medicine, building a business
case for lifestyle medicine and pursuing fair reimbursement. The 2024 conference will be held Oct. 27-30 in Orlando, Fla. and will include a virtual attendance option for those who cannot attend in person.
For more information
on the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and to sign up for its lifestyle medicine courses, visit lifestylemedicine.org.
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