Dr. James Brodsky Among Those Who Have Earned First-Ever Board Certification in the Field of Lifestyle Medicine

The American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM) announced today that James H. Brodsky, M.D is among the 204 physicians and 43 PhD/Masters-level health clinicians who have become the first medical professionals globally to be certified as Diplomates of the ABLM/American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) and the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine. The exam was given Oct. 26 in Tucson, AZ, following the American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s Lifestyle Medicine 2017 conference.

Lifestyle Medicine, defined by the ACLM, is the use of evidence-based lifestyle therapeutic approaches, such as a predominantly whole food, plant-based diet, physical activity, adequate sleep, stress management, tobacco cessation, and other non-drug modalities, to prevent, treat, and, oftentimes, reverse chronic disease.

As a result of this global pioneering effort, Lifestyle Medicine Global Alliance sister organizations in Europe, Asia, Oceania and Latin America are scheduled to host Lifestyle Medicine certifications in their respective countries and regions, using the identical exam, proctoring, and pass rates, resulting in standardization of the field on a world-wide basis.

“Gone are the days of diagnosing the ill, prescribing the pill and sending the bill, which has worked so well in combating communicable disease, but is hopelessly inadequate in the fight against chronic disease,” said ABLM Executive Director Stephan Herzog. “Nourishment, movement, resilience and social connectedness will become the focal point of physicians in addressing the underlying causes of chronic disease, with increasing numbers of medical schools starting to train their students in the principles of lifestyle medicine."

“Driven primarily by large, self-insured employers, the requirement for healthcare providers to employ and deploy lifestyle medicine-certified physicians and health professionals will increase rapidly, as the reduction in medical utilization costs on a per-person per-annum basis is becoming increasingly evident when Lifestyle Medicine is used across the treatment spectrum,” Herzog continued.

ACLM President George Guthrie, MD, MPH, FACLM added, “For the patient, having health care providers not only look at the symptoms, but also at the underlying cause of disease, will help them take charge of their health and prevent, arrest and reverse chronic disease, thus returning years to their life and life to their years.”

Exams were scheduled to be conducted in Sydney, Australia, on November 18, 2017, by the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine and the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine and in Manila, Philippines on Feb. 8th, 2018, by the Asia Society of Lifestyle Medicine and the IBLM (sign-up via http://www.iblm.co).

The next exam conducted in the U.S. will be Thursday, October 25, 2018, from 8 a.m. to noon at the 2018 ACLM Lifestyle Medicine Conference at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis, IN. ACLM members will receive exclusive member-only 10 percent discounts on ABLM exam registration. To register, see http://www.ablm.co/membership-account/register-now/.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN BOARD OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE: The ABLM was formed in November, 2015, in Nashville, TN, by a group of visionary physicians who saw the need to: educate physicians and allied health professionals about Lifestyle Medicine; set a common standard/language for Lifestyle Medicine protocols globally; differentiate between evidence-based Lifestyle Medicine professionals and non-evidence based Lifestyle Medicine practitioners; set a global Lifestyle Medicine benchmark; and attract health insurance funding for evidence-based Lifestyle Medicine by requiring that any fund receivers be formally certified. Learn more at https://ablm.co/about/.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE: ACLM is the professional medical association for those dedicated to the advancement and clinical practice of Lifestyle Medicine as the foundation of a transformed and sustainable healthcare system. More than a professional association, ACLM is a galvanizing force for change. ACLM addresses the need for quality education and certification, supporting its members in their individual practices and in their collective desire to domestically and globally promote Lifestyle Medicine as the first treatment option, as opposed to a first option of treating symptoms and consequences with expensive, ever increasing quantities of pills and procedures. ACLM members are united in their desire to identify and eradicate the cause of disease. Learn more at http://www.LifestyleMedicine.org.