Lifestyle medicine
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Unit 628
November 2025
The purpose of this activity is to demonstrate how a framework of lifestyle pillars (smoking, physical activity, nutrition, sleep, alcohol, stress and social connection) along with social determinants of health can help general practitioners to provide thorough and holistic patient-centred care, addressing the physical, mental and social aspects of health.
Approximately 50% of the Australian population lives with one chronic disease (20% with two or more chronic diseases), and 90% of preventable deaths are due to these chronic conditions. As lifestyle factors cause 80% of our chronic diseases, lifestyle medicine has the potential to prevent this 80%.
Lifestyle pillars (smoking, physical activity, nutrition, sleep, alcohol, stress and social connection) along with social determinants of health (eg one’s place of residence/education/work/play, housing, finances, relationships and career) need to be addressed to provide thorough and holistic patient-centred care.
Twenty per cent of general practitioners’ consultations have a predominant social underlay and almost 40% have a mental health base. It is important to treat our patients using the bio-psychosocial model of care, where physical, mental and social health are all addressed adequately.
On 30 June 2025, social isolation and loneliness was listed as a public health priority by the WHO Commission on Social Connection, with a global call to action. The Commission’s report states that one in six people globally are affected by loneliness (the number is highest in adolescents and young adults and lower socioeconomic groups); it accounts for 870,000 deaths annually worldwide. Social isolation can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and premature death by almost 30% and depression and dementia by 50%. It exceeds smoking 15 cigarettes per day as an independent risk factor for chronic disease.
Social prescribing, an extra tool in our management toolkit, might be the solution to our syndemic of loneliness and social isolation, chronic physical and mental illnesses, societal issues and environmental problems. It empowers individuals to better their health and wellbeing while simultaneously strengthening communities via sector activation. It can ease pressure on the health-care system (eg it has reduced emergency department and general practitioner visits in the UK by at least 20%) and can have a substantial economic impact (eg in Canada it has shown an attractive social return on investment of at least $4.45 for every $1 invested).
At the end of this activity, participants will be able to:
Melinda, a nursing educator aged 57 years, is a regular patient at your practice. She recently moved back to metropolitan Adelaide after a two-year job in Katherine, Northern Territory, to enjoy time with her grandson (aged three years) and to return to teaching at the local TAFE college.
Sally, aged 41 years, is a long-term patient at your practice. She attends occasionally for preventive or acute care and has no regular general practitioner. Review of her notes confirms she had a recent blood test, after requesting ‘a check of cholesterol and diabetes’, which returned normal results.
Nina, aged 34 years, attends your clinic with her second baby for their six-month routine vaccination as part of the National Immunisation Program. Nina was diagnosed with gestational diabetes during both her pregnancies. During her first pregnancy, her gestational diabetes was controlled with dietary interventions. During her second pregnancy, she required insulin. An oral glucose tolerance test has been requested, but she has not yet completed this.
Mrs Shirley Walker, aged 78 years, is an Aboriginal woman and mother of Mandy Smith. Mandy is her only child. Shirley came to live with her daughter’s family in a small, rural town of about 1500 people one month ago.
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Each unit of check comprises approximately five clinical cases, and the choice of cases will cover the broad spectrum of the unit’s topic. Each unit will be led by a GP with an interest and capability in the topic, and they will scope the five different cases for that unit in collaboration with the check team.