Lifestyle Medicine – A growing local and global movement
The Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (ASLM) means different things to different people, be they members, non-members with an interest in Lifestyle Medicine and supporters of ASLM mission and vision in healthcare. Most would recognise ASLM as the leader in education and training in all aspects of lifestyle medicine including the tools for the practice of lifestyle medicine. But more than this ASLM is part of a global movement, and our members are active participants in this movement. We represent the voices of health practitioners in Australia and New Zealand who are leading the push for lifestyle education and training, interventions, and models of care to be embedded in health education and healthcare.
ASLM is a leading member of a global network of over 20 societies, associations, and colleges, all working to establish Lifestyle Medicine as central to health and wellbeing, medicine, healthcare and health policy. The World Lifestyle Medicine Organisation (WLMO) was established in February this year. With its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, “The WLMO is a collaboration of Lifestyle Medicine Societies from around the world united in their dedication to the global eradication of chronic and lifestyle-related disease through sustainable evidence-based, lifestyle-related and health behaviour changes. The WLMO will also advocate for global and national policies to address the societal, environmental, and other drivers of ill health and disease.”
WLMO aims include uniting Lifestyle Medicine organisations and their membership, enable global sharing and collaborative efforts in evidenced base best practice and leverage public relations for the promotion and establishment of lifestyle medicine in mainstream healthcare. ASLM is a leading member of WLMO with Vice President Dr Sam Manger representing our Society on the WLMO Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is the main body of WLMO that makes decisions and takes measures to achieve the goals of WLMO. With his extensive expertise, drive, and influence in the field of Lifestyle Medicine ASLM is very proud to have Dr Manger representing ASLMs vision in the global Lifestyle Medicine movement.
Each year there will be a WLMO General Assembly Ordinary meeting where member organisations can hear about the work of WLMO and decide on the function and structure of the WLMO. In addition to Dr Sam Manger’s role, ASLM CEO Roni Beauchamp and myself are on the General Assembly.
We look forward to sharing more about WLMO at the LM23 ‘Better Health For All’ conference in September.
This article was prepared by ASLM President Dr Hung The Nguyen.
Hung Nguyen
Hung The Nguyen has a long term commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and cultural competency training and education. Medical and cultural education is his number one passion as it allows him to make a greater impact on people's lives through education and training. He has worked extensively as a GP and Medical and Cultural Educator in urban and rural and remote Aboriginal community health service throughout the Northern Territory and Victoria. He currently works as a GP at Bunurong Health Service in Dandenong. He was the Inaugural Censor for RACGP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health for 9 years and Director of Medical and Cultural Education for NTGPE for 5 years where he oversaw GP education for the Territory. Hung sits on a number of Primary Care and Health Education boards (Health Education Australia Limited, Therapeutic Guidelines, South Eastern Melbourne PHN) and Councils (AMA Victoria, Executive Committee for the Victorian Clinical Council, Safer Care Victoria and Chair SEMPHN Clinical Council). Through his appointments, he is concerned with positive patient journeys through the health system and patient engagement in the quality improvement process in health care.