Beyond treating disease: why lifestyle medicine and nutrition must be at the heart of healthcare

By Marta Buczkowska, Registered Dietitian, MyNutriWeb

Chronic diseases remain one of the greatest challenges facing modern healthcare. Non-communicable diseases are responsible for over 60% of of deaths worldwide,¹ and in the UK 40% of premature mortality is caused by preventable chronic diseases -including diabetes, cardiovascular disease or cancer,² While advances in modern medicine have transformed our ability to diagnose and treat disease, the growing burden of non-communicable conditions reminds us that treatment alone is not enough. As highligthed by numerous non-governmental organisations (NGOs), healthcare charities, as well as in the NHS’s 10 Year Plan,³ prevention and empowering patients to make sustainable lifestyle changes must become a greater priority. As nutrition professionals, we are uniquely placed to be part of that solution.

Lifestyle medicine recognises that our health is shaped not only by genetics and medical care, but also by the everyday choices and environments that influence how we eat, move, sleep, manage stress and connect with others. While all healthcare professionals have a role to play in addressing these modifiable lifestyle factors to some extent, nutrition healthcare professionals are particularly well positioned to help people transition towards healthier, more diverse, plant-rich dietary patterns that benefit both people and the planet.

Chronic conditions and lifestyle medicine

The UK’s health statistics clearly show the significant impact that lifestyle choices have on our health.

•         Obesity rates continue to raise – in 2024 64.5% of adults and 26% of children in England were overweight or living with obesity⁴

•         46% of adults aged 16 and over had at least one longstanding illness or condition⁴

•         48% of adults have raised cholesterol levels⁴

•         The number of people living with diabetes type 2 continues to increase – with over 4.7 million patients in the UK living with the disease in 2025⁵

Modifiable lifestyle factors – including dietary patterns, physical activity, sleep and stress management, play a major role in both the development and progression of these conditions:

•         A study reviewing the sleep patterns of 6785 participants found that each hour increase in average daily sleep duration was associated with a decreased risk of receiving a new diagnosis of morbid obesity or developing obstructive sleep apnea. In this study, increased sleep irregularity was also associated with developing hypertension, hyperlipidaemia and obesity.⁶

•         A systematic review or reviews from 2024 highlighted that physical activity reduced the risk of hypertension, diabetes, high LDL-cholesterol levels, and low bone mineral density.⁷

•         Research consistently shows that building psychological resilience in patients with chronic diseases help lower the level of depression, anxiety and stress resulting from their condition. It also empowers them to adopt self-care behaviours and follow their treatment plan more closely.⁸

•         An umbrella review published in 2020 found an inverse association between healthy diets (predominantly consisting of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, soya, olive oil, nuts and seeds) and the risk of type 2 diabetes, fractures, breast and colorectal cancer.⁹

 Looking beyond nutrients

Although food is widely recognised as an important health-modifying factor, in the discussion about food and chronic disease, we often forget that the impact of food on our health goes well beyond its nutritional value – including calories, sugar, saturated fat or salt content. While these are important, food influences our health in ways that go far beyond its nutritional composition.

The way our food is grown, processed, transported and distributed has profound consequences for public health. Deforestation, water and soil pollution, excessive fertiliser use, antimicrobial resistance, biodiversity loss and plastic pollution all impact our health:

•         Microplastic present in the majority of commercially available foods and drinks (predominantly in bottled water, seafood, tea bags, soft drinks, but also in sea salt or poultry) has the potential to impact oxidative stress, immunological diseases, increase cancer risks, and even adversely affect the brain and reproductive system.¹⁰

•         Air pollution can exacerbate pre-existing asthma symptoms or even result in decreased lung function.¹¹

•         Excessive use of antimicrobial as growth-promoters but also as a routine prophylactic measure in industrial animal farming poses a risk for the emergence of novel pathogens affecting both humans and animals with a potential to cause new epidemics and pandemics. Currently, ~1.4 million people worldwide die each year due to untreatable microbial infections.¹²

At the same time, food production contributes around a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, accelerating climate change and increasing the frequency of extreme weather events that threaten food security and food justice, animal wellbeing, crop quality and supply chains.

Human health, planetary health and well-functioning food systems are inseparable. Improving one increasingly depends on improving the others.

The evidence for plant-rich dietary patterns

Research consistently shows that diets centred around vegetables, fruits, legumes, wholegrains, nuts and seeds, with limited amounts of animal-source foods, are associated with improved health outcomes across populations.

One of the most influential frameworks in this area is the Planetary Health Diet  (PHD), first proposed by the EAT-Lancet Commission in 2019.¹³ Designed to support both human and planetary health, it provides a healthy, flexible dietary pattern that can be adapted across cultures while helping to reduce environmental impact. In 2025 The Commission has proposed an updated version of the report, further reitarating the positive impact of transitioning towards PHD on human health, our environment and food justice.

Table 1 Recommended daily intake ranges for the main food groups included in the EAT Lancet Commission’s Planetary Health Diet, expressed in both grams and kilocalories per person per day.

Food group	Per capita recommended intake (g/day) [range]	Per capita recommended intake (kcal/day)
Plant foods
Whole grains†	210 (20–50% of daily energy intake)	735
Tubers and starchy roots‡	50 (0–100)	50
Vegetables	300 (200–600)	95
Fruits	200 (100–300)	145
Tree nuts and peanuts	50 (0–75)	275
Legumes	75 (0–150)	275
Animal-sourced foods
Milk or equivalents (e.g., cheese)	250 (0–500)	145
Chicken and other poultry	30 (0–60)	60
Fish and shellfish	30 (0–100)	25
Eggs	15 (0–25)	20
Beef, pork, or lamb	15 (0–30)	45
Fats, sugar, and salt
Unsaturated plant oils	40 (20–80)	355
Palm and coconut oil	6 (0–8)	55
Lard, tallow, and butter	5 (0–10)	—
Sugar (added or free)	30 (0–30)	115
Sodium	<2	—

The health benefits of plant-rich dietary patterns were also discussed in more detail in a systematic review published in 2023,¹⁴ which found that greater adherence to plant-rich dietary patterns was associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, several cancers and all-cause mortality. Replacing animal proteins (particularly red and processed meat and dairy) with high-quality plant protein sources such as beans, lentils, peas, soya foods, nuts and seeds has also been shown to improve dietary quality by increasing fibre intake while reducing saturated fat intake.¹⁵

Scientific modelling has also suggested that widespread adoption of a Planetary Health Diet could help:¹⁶

• Avoid millions of premature deaths every year

• Reduce antimicrobial use

• Lower exposure to harmful air pollution

• Reduce groundwater nitrogen pollution

The evidence continues to point in the same direction: encouraging people to eat more whole plant foods is one of the most powerful strategies we have to improve long-term health while supporting environmental sustainability.

Bridging the gap between evidence and practice

Despite the growing body of research, nutrition education within healthcare remains inconsistent, and many healthcare professionals receive little formal training in lifestyle medicine or plant-rich nutrition. A cross-sectional survey from 2024¹⁷ highlighted that 79% of registered dietitians in the UK felt they did not receive adequate education on whole-food plant-based diets, while another study conducted across healthcare workers found that only 62.1% of HCPs were aware of the term ‘lifestyle medicine’.¹⁸

Healthcare professionals increasingly recognise the importance of prevention, but many are looking for practical, evidence-based guidance on how to incorporate lifestyle medicine into consultations, communicate effectively with patients and translate research into realistic dietary advice.

Continuing professional development has never been more important.

Learn from leaders in nutrition and lifestyle medicine

For healthcare professionals wanting to deepen their understanding of evidence-based lifestyle medicine, the Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine Conferences (NLMC), organised by Plant-Based Health Professionals UK, have become one of the leading educational events in the field.

Taking place in London on 5th-6th November, the live conference brings together internationally recognised experts in lifestyle medicine, nutrition, planetary health, public health and sustainable food systems to explore some of the most pressing health challenges of our time.

Among the sessions we think members of the MyNutriWeb community will particularly enjoy are:

• Appetite, weight and the modern food environment – Rosemary Martin RD
• Keynote: In a Post-Ozempic World, Have We Cured Obesity? – Professor Giles Yeo
• Plastics in the Food System: Drivers, Effects and What the Health Community Can Do – Joe Yates
• Inequality: Patients, Lifestyle and Planet – Dr Matthew Sawyer
• Nutrition Misinformation: The Scale of the Problem and the Role of Healthcare Professionals – Robbie Lockie
• Raising Children on Plant-Based Diets – Paula Hallam RD
• Weight-Neutral Approaches to Type 2 Diabetes – Nicola Guess RD

Beyond the lectures themselves, attending in person offers something extremely  valuable: the opportunity to connect with fellow nutrition and healthcare professionals, exchange ideas, discuss challenges and build new collaborations. Whether you’re an experienced practitioner or early in your career, spending time with a community that shares your passion for evidence-based nutrition can be both professionally and personally inspiring.

The MyNutriWeb team will also be there throughout the conference, and we would love the opportunity to meet members of our community, hear about your work and chat about potential future collaborations!

MyNutriWeb community members also get 10% off the live event with code MNW-NLMC26-D10

Our team at the NLMC, November 2025

 Can’t make it to London?

If attending in person isn’t possible, there’s still an excellent opportunity to join the conversation online!

The online conference on 19th September features another outstanding programme of speakers, including:

• Sarah Espinosa discussing the role of plant-based meat alternatives in a sustainable food transition
• Michael Metoudi RD exploring the power of plants for hypertension
• Dr Hana Kahleova presenting the latest evidence on nutrition for diabetes and insulin resistance
• Jill Martin discussing neurodiversity, mental health and lessons from occupational therapy
• Angeline Taylor RD examining plant-based diets in kidney disease

Alongside many other expert speakers, the online event offers a flexible way to access high-quality education wherever you are.

Taking the next step in lifestyle medicine

If lifestyle medicine has become a central part of your clinical practice – or you would like it to be, you may also wish to consider gaining formal certification.

The International Board of Lifestyle Medicine (IBLM) sets internationally recognised standards for physicians and advanced healthcare professionals who wish to demonstrate expertise in evidence-based lifestyle medicine.

IBLM certification recognises advanced knowledge across the six pillars of lifestyle medicine, including nutrition, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances and positive social connection. Successful candidates are awarded the post-nominal Dip IBLM, reflecting internationally recognised competency in the field.

Who is it for?

The certification is designed for physicians and advanced healthcare professionals (Doctorate or Master’s level) who want to develop their knowledge, strengthen their clinical practice and become leaders in preventative healthcare.

Whether your interests lie in diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity management, public health or sustainable nutrition, lifestyle medicine provides an evidence-based framework that complements existing clinical expertise.

A healthier future starts with education

Healthcare is changing. As rates of chronic disease continue to rise, there is increasing recognition that preventing illness is just as important as treating it.

Whether you are looking to update your nutrition knowledge, explore the latest evidence on plant-rich diets, connect with like-minded professionals or take the next step towards certification in lifestyle medicine, investing in your own learning ultimately benefits every patient you support.

We hope you will join us at the Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine Conference and continue building the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to help shape a healthier future – for people and for the planet!

References

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2.   UKGovernment. Chapter 6: Public health, prevention and patient responsibility.
3.   NHSE. Fit for the future: 10 Year Health Plan for England 2025 [Available from: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-term-plan/.
4.   NHSE. Health Survey for England, 2024 2026 [Available from: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/health-survey-for-england/2024/childrens-overweight-and-obesity?__cf_chl_f_tk=F9CSVh.9nzJMYpgKRBxGgsCg9JEWJODFNFcdpXWzzrQ-1782990025-1.0.1.1-l8retdrLdc.jV6da1iFplZsl8QtuxD7GDAzlu8WBE1k.
5.   DiabetesUK. How many people in the UK have diabetes?  [Available from: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about-us/about-the-charity/our-strategy/statistics.
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