A Call to Action for Intermediate and Secondary School Lifestyle Medicine Education: Instating Healthy Teen Behaviors

Abstract

Chronic diseases, previously thought to require decades of risk factors, have become increasingly prevalent in America’s youth. National Health Education Standards have been published since 1995, and yet nearly a fifth of schools fail to follow any state or national health education guidelines. Utilizing the phrase “lifestyle medicine” in childhood would elevate the importance and standardization of the core health guidelines. Several independent pilot programs taught by undergraduate and medical student volunteers have successfully demonstrated lifestyle medicine education models at intermediate and secondary schools. Preliminary feedback demonstrates that student interest in and consideration of behavioral change is possible within this age group. As with any life stage, significant behavior change in youth requires strategic planning of authentic learning practices and culturally competent lessons. We argue for the interdisciplinary development and implementation of community-engaged lifestyle medicine education for intermediate and secondary schools as a promising intervention to address and reverse the chronic disease trend in our youth.

The Time is Now For Lifestyle Medicine: Lesson From Lifestyle Medicine Leaders

“…ACLM members have been working to make this a reality throughout the United States for the past four years. 11,12 ACLM has a full teen curriculum available to members that can be used in middle school or high school. A Teen Lifestyle Medicine Handbook, 12 decks of PowerPoint Slides, and a Teacher's manual to help empower teachers to use the curriculum.…”

Applying Psychiatry and Psychology Principles to Lifestyle Approaches for Mental and Behavioral Health

“…70 In fact, lifestyle medicine experts have argued that introduction to lifestyle principles and practices may be beneficial as early as middle school. [70][71][72] Such education can also be utilized to help students appreciate the role of mental and behavioral health in lifestyle medicine approaches and general health. Appreciating the foundational role of lifestyle medicine as both primary treatment, and adjunct to traditional treatment, particularly in the case of mental health, is incredibly important for future generations of providers.…”

Lifestyle Medicine Programmes for Children and Young People in Residential Care

“…They also learned how to use sleep as a tool for boosting performance in the classroom. 6 In addition to this, they also found that when students were provided with evidenced based approaches to health lifestyles, they we able to better understand the power and importance of lifestyle medicine. 6…”

“…6 In addition to this, they also found that when students were provided with evidenced based approaches to health lifestyles, they we able to better understand the power and importance of lifestyle medicine. 6 As epidemiological studies have demonstrated that early childhood maltreatment can have an impact on health and emotional wellbeing, 10 combined with the large body of research highlighting the importance of early lifestyle medicine intervention, we at Edison Young People are launching a lifestyle medicine programme across some of our residential homes, in the hope to assist our CYP in developing healthy daily habits to improve their short-term and long-term health, along with increasing their quality of life. The program is overseen by Dr Beth Frates and Clinical Lead Stelios Kiosses and run by our assistant psychologist Abbie Garrett who is also responsible for introducing lifestyle medicine to our CYP and the care staff working with the CYP.…”

“…5 In recent years, research has indicated that chronic diseases are becoming increasingly prevalent in the adolescence population. 6 Many high school students fail to obtain adequate sleep, with 10% reporting less than 6 hours each weeknight. 7 Moreover, shorter sleep durations have been linked to obesity in adolescence and poorer academic performance due to increased difficulty with paying attention and increased stress levels.…”