On March 21, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the launch of the Lifestyle Medicine Program in a new location at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln in the South Bronx.
Lifestyle medicine is the use of healthy habits to prevent and treat common chronic conditions such as prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and health concerns related to excess weight.
According to the United States Census Bureau, about 37 million Americans, including adults and youths, were affected by diabetes in 2023. This represents a significantly high number, questioning the health situation of many Americans.
The statistics on the percentage of Americans suffering from high blood pressure are also critical. According to a report from the American Heart Association, 112 million people suffer from high blood pressure.
Both diabetes and high blood pressure are diseases with a high rate of mortality. This is where the Lifestyle Medicine Program, created on the basis of lifestyle medicine, is critical and takes on its full meaning.
The program, with the help of a dedicated team of experts, supports patients in making result based lifestyle changes including a healthy plant-based diet made of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.
The program also advocates for increased physical activity to improve health and sleep habits. Seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep is encouraged for adults for both their physical and mental health.
The Lifestyle Medicine Program stresses the importance of stress reduction and provides techniques to level up wellbeing.
Avoidance of substance use like alcohol, building stronger social connections and healthy relationships are also counted among the objectives of the program and its teams. The program is an important step in the overall health maintenance of American society.
“Today, we are again sending a clear message that New York will not stand by and keep feeding the chronic disease crisis,” Adams said.
Many families see their loved ones suffer lifetime consequences due to chronic diseases. Because of this, efforts are being made toward the improvement of the health crisis in the United States, emphasizing the significance of the Lifestyle Medicine Program.
Additionally, the launch of the Lifestyle Medicine Program in the South Bronx suggests more inclusion and the consideration of diversity in the health systems and among communities.
This represents an “equity focused approach, taking into account the needs and differences of communities,” deputy mayor for Health and Human Services, Anne Williams-Isom, said.
“Our Lifestyle Medicine Program, now in every borough of the city, gives people hope to not just manage their condition but potentially bring that condition into remission,” Williams-Isom said.
