LIFESTYLE CHOICES AS MEDICINE

Lifestyle and genetic factors work together to cause and worsen a wide range of chronic diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and several types of cancer. More than 80% of attributable risks may be related to environmental factors, especially lifestyle factors. Things like unhealthy diet, not getting enough exercise, smoking, and using drugs are all things that can be changed, and if they are, they can greatly improve health and quality of life. When unhealthy lifestyle choices are changed, the number of diseases, disabilities, and medical costs go down. People in our society are confused and not well-informed about what makes a good way of life. People don't know how to think about how food affects their health. Not many people work out regularly. Stress isn't dealt with well, and sleep isn't given enough value. Chronic diseases show up because people don't make good choices in their daily lives.

If poor lifestyle choices cause and make chronic diseases worse, wouldn't it make sense to deal with and fix those things? Treating diseases that are caused by unhealthy choices in life takes a lot of time, is hard, and requires special skills. Lifestyle modification or therapeutic lifestyle change (TLC) programs try to change the bad habits that lead to chronic illnesses. Cognitive-behavioral approaches are used in TLC programs to handle diet, exercise, stress management, and nutrient depletion. The goal is to fix the underlying causes of chronic illness. The goal of a TLC program is to give the patient the information, skills, and motivation to make and keep new habits that will help them deal with their chronic disease and maybe even get rid of its root cause.

Many medical societies and organizations, like the Center for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, and the American Diabetes Association, suggest TLC programs as the first step in treating chronic diseases. TLC programs are an important first line of care that isn't efficiently utilized. They improve lifestyle choices, risk factors, and many biomarkers that are linked to chronic disease.