Abstract
Most integrative clinicians are well aware that lifestyle medicine and nutrition curricula are significantly lacking in medical education and in clinical practice. Fortunately, increasing numbers of organizations and individual efforts are trying to correct these issues. To that end, the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM), through its endeavors, won the 2024 Power of Associations Gold Award from the American Society of Associations Executives for their “Lifestyle Medicine and Food as Medicine Essentials” course.
Jennifer Nanni, MBA, MEd, and ACLM Senior Director of Membership, commented on what this award means to the organization. In an interview, she stated, “At the ACLM, we are committed to delivering an exceptional and meaningful experience that empowers our members and lifestyle medicine champions to transform their own lives and the lives of those they serve. The Lifestyle Medicine and Food as Medicine Essentials course is a cornerstone of that commitment—introducing the foundational principles of lifestyle medicine, including the power of food as medicine to drive sustainable health outcomes. Receiving the Power of Associations Gold Award for this course affirms that we prioritize both the quality of our education and the strength of our relationship with members. It reinforces our unwavering pursuit of excellence in equipping clinicians and advocates with the knowledge, tools, and support they need to restore health and reimagine health care.”
In fact, the award-winning course was shown to significantly improve knowledge and confidence in clinicians who completed it, according to the ACLM website (https://lifestylemedicine.org/). Participants received a “foundational, evidence-based introduction to the field of lifestyle medicine and engaged in focused nutrition education for the prevention and treatment of chronic disease.”
The initial course was offered as a bundled package and is now offered as two individual courses: Food as Medicine: Nutrition for Prevention and Longevity and Food as Medicine: Nutrition for Treatment and Risk Reduction. In addition, the ACLM is launching a new six-hour course called “Lifestyle Medicine Fundamentals: Framework for Success,” developed in response to the strong interest generated by the initial course. It will serve as an introduction to the six pillars of lifestyle medicine.
Launched as an organization in 2004, the continued determination and best efforts by the ACLM to advance clinicians’ knowledge in these areas mentioned fit well with their overall goals to “educate and certify health care professionals, advocate for the broader practice of lifestyle medicine, build community for clinicians, and provide evidence and research to advance the field,” according to the website. Ultimately, their goal is to treat, reverse, and prevent chronic disease.
Their annual conference, LM2025, will be held November 16–19, 2025, in Grapevine, Texas, and will also be offered online. The event, which drew 4600 attendees in person or virtually in 2024, will highlight how lifestyle medicine is changing medical education and clinical practice, with an emphasis on chronic disease and root cause interventions that restore health. The ACLM also offers webinars, video programs, and podcasts on their website.
ACLM Curricula Fills Gaps and Demonstrates Effectiveness
Shannon Workman, NBC-HWC, DipACLM, and ACLM Senior Director of Education, stated in an interview, “The Lifestyle Medicine and Food as Medicine Essentials Course was developed to meet the growing demand for evidence-based therapeutic interventions that treat, reverse, and prevent chronic disease. In 2025, health professionals are increasingly seeking tools that support remission and reversal—not just prevention—of conditions that impact their patients’ quality of life. Our many courses may equip them with the clinical knowledge and practical strategies to deliver whole-person care, grounded in optimal nutrition and lifestyle medicine treatment modalities. Recognition by the Power of Associations Gold Award underscores the value and impact that the ACLM has across the field of medicine.”
One study evaluating the effectiveness of the Essentials course found that clinicians reported increased practice of lifestyle medicine after participation in the online training, suggesting that “brief, online training is an accessible and cost-effective way to produce modest increases in the implementation of lifestyle medicine and health behavior change in medical practice.” 1 Importantly, the participants reported statistically significant increased knowledge, confidence, and practice of lifestyle medicine after completing the course.
In addition to the courses previously mentioned, the ACLM offers a variety of other courses, including Food as Medicine courses that cover topics such as nutrition for prevention and longevity; treatment, risk reduction, and remission of type 2 diabetes; food as medicine for cancer risk reduction; mindfulness-based interventions addressing brain health; food as medicine for approaches to weight loss; food as medicine for the preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum stages; and more. In addition, the Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum offers a comprehensive curriculum that prepares residents to make evidence-based lifestyle behavior interventions and become certified in lifestyle medicine by the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine upon completion of their residency. Physicians and other health professionals may also become members and, through a process, board certified in Lifestyle Medicine, according to the website.
Brenda Rea, MD, DrPH, PT, RD, DipABLM, FACLM, and ACLM Medical Director of Education, stated in an interview, “Clinicians can enhance their practice through our courses, which provide practical, evidence-based training in lifestyle medicine and nutrition. This knowledge equips them with the tools to address the root causes of chronic disease, improve patient outcomes, and support their own well-being. Whether used individually or as part of a broader organizational strategy, our courses empower physicians and health care professionals to deliver more effective, patient-centered, and lifestyle-oriented care.”
Conclusion and Hopes for the Future
Gaining information through the ACLM’s comprehensive online coursework is an effective means for health care and other professionals to increase lifestyle and food-as-medicine knowledge and apply this knowledge in clinical practice. Individuals and institutions can turn to the ACLM to fill in the gaps of critically needed tools to optimize patients’ health.
In terms of the future, Dr. Rea concluded, “In addition to our CME offerings, I hope that our Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum becomes a standard part of medical training, ensuring that all clinicians learn to use lifestyle and food as medicine from the start of their careers. Residency is a critical time to shape clinical habits and perspectives, and integrating this curriculum early on can empower physicians to address the root causes of disease with confidence. The ACLM’s leadership in this space is vital—providing evidence-based tools that help clinicians improve patient outcomes through lifestyle-focused care. ACLM curricula equips trainees to make lifestyle counseling a routine part of practice, ultimately transforming health care delivery.”▪