For most health practitioners who completed their studies longer than five years ago, the concept of changing behaviour to prevent or even reverse chronic diseases was considered ‘alternative’ medicine.
After all, doctors had been thoroughly trained in the science and art of pharmacotherapy and surgery.
Most patients who visited their doctor would be given another repeat prescription, or new medicines would be added as the condition progressed.
If you had asked your doctor if your condition could be reversed he/she would remind you that you had a chronic condition that cannot be cured, but just managed to reduce complications.
But I have come across exciting changes recently.
Over the last year we have been interacting with one of the most prestigious universities in South Africa to promote the concept of preventative medicine.
Their department of family medicine was already actively teaching principles of lifestyle medicine both in under-graduate as well as post-graduate training. That is a really thrilling development.
The South African Lifestyle Medicine Association has been invited to participate in the upcoming South African Academy of Family Practice Conference – once again, a recognition of the importance that academic institutions and family practitioners in South Africa are finding in lifestyle medicine to turn the tide of non-communicable diseases.
These include cardio-vascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, auto-immune diseases, dementia and cancer. A multi-pronged approach is needed, and more importantly, patients and health care practitioners need to partner together to change behaviours causing these conditions.
Another encouraging observation: the father of one of our team was recently diagnosed with stage 4 oesophageal cancer.
In the past, patients would be put onto palliative treatment, but doctors would pooh-pooh the value of any changes in diet or lifestyle. But in this case, the patient was given a pamphlet outlining many of the principles of lifestyle medicine.
These included protein-rich plant-based foods, eating more fruits such as citrus and especially dark green/deep yellow vegetables, maintaining physical activity, limiting salt in the diet, limiting red and processed meats, limiting sugary and processed foods, and limiting alcohol intake.
The message is beginning to be heard – lifestyle behaviour change is vital to control disease.
Dr Dave Glass
MBChB, FCOG(SA), DipIBLM
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