Ultra-processed food, calls for higher food taxes, obesity studies and plenty more in June's monthly newsletter piece
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June 2023
Welcome member to
Your home of lifestyle medicine news
HEADLINE NEWS
World Lifestyle Medicine Organisation Update
I hope BSLM members will have seen that the World Lifestyle Medicine Organisation is now fully official, with Ife Monye at the helm as President. BSLM has been at the forefront of the development of WLMO, with Fraser Quin acting as ED until a permanent replacement can be “afforded”, and both Fraser and Rob Lawson serving on the Executive Committee, the operating arm of WLMO. BSLM HQ is currently providing administrative support for WLMO.
It’s early days but there are very positive steps being taken, with 22 current members and a further 20 or so being invited as we speak. The five key priority areas, or task forces, identified for the next 18 months are:
• Education, Training and Accreditation – Susan Benigas coordinating – USA
• Communications and Public Affairs – Alicja Baska coordinating – Poland
• International Development of Lifestyle Medicine – Rob Lawson coordinating – Europe
• Grants and Funds – FQ coordinating – UK
• Clinical Research and Quality Improvement – Samandika Saparamadu coordinating – Sri Lanka.
A truly international collaboration. If you have any questions please feel free to contact office@bslm.org.uk.
World Lifestyle Medicine Education and Services Ltd (WLMES)
The BSLM Board has also agreed the set up of a wholly owned subsidiary of BSLM, called WLMES Ltd (affectionately known internally as WOMBLE). This is a new commercial vehicle for the charity, with BSLM being the sole member.
It will undertake activities that BSLM cannot, due to restrictions under charity law. The types of things it will consider are international business opportunities, particularly around education, the setting up of Lifestyle Medicine clinics, and any other activity that our charity regulator OSCR, or the Inland Revenue, would question a charity over. As WLMES will be VAT registered, we may also shift some activity from BSLM to WLMES so that VAT can be reclaimed, although we await legal advice on this point.
WLMES was registered as a Company Ltd by Guarantee in Scotland last month, as a not for profit organisation, SC768152. All surpluses produced (eventually) go back to the sole member, BSLM, for the benefit of the charity and its members.
The Board of Directors consists of the BSLM Senior Team (Quin, Mulligan and Howie), and Frances Elliot and Laurence Stewart representing the BSLM Board of Trustees. A final Non-Executive Director will be sought both internally and externally, to bring added value to the WLMES Board. Keep an eye out for the advertisement, especially if you have the skills we are looking for.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact office@bslm.org.uk.
In this month's Newsletter...
May's Featured Video
The Gut Microbiome for Clinicians Breakdown
Lifestyle Medicine in Focus
Ultra-processed food, calls for higher food taxes and obesity studies...
BSLM News
Scaling group consultations, June's featured abstracts, supporting the Move Well to Live Well campaign
Featured BSLM Events
Lifestyle Medicine Start-up Workshop, June's monthly webinar, London Regional Meet
Exclusive Member Opportunities & Courses
Lifestyle Medicine Textbook Contributions
NHS Weekly Newsletter
The latest from the NHS Weekly Blogs.
May's Featured Video
The Gut Microbiome for Clinicians | Course Breakdown
LIFESTYLE MEDICINE IN FOCUS
Could ultra-processed foods be harmful for us?
"In the last decade, the evidence has been slowly growing that ultra-processed food is harmful for us in ways we hadn't thought. We're talking about a whole variety of cancers, heart disease, strokes, dementia." Professor Tim Spector.
The Imperial College's School of Public Health published a study on ultra-processed food, consisting of 200,000 UK adults. This research discovered that increased risks of cancer overall, as well as ovarian and brain cancers specifically, may be related to a higher consumption of ultra-processed food.
An interesting article from the BBC exploring the impact ultra-processed foods can have, and how the food industry has even worked to undermine this knowledge this for commercial gain. The British Society of Lifestyle Medicine believes making a switch to healthy eating is an important way of addressing the chronic disease burden. We need to rethink food and a healthy diet – and the lifestyle medicine approach can help us to achieve that changed outlook.
Danone boss calls for higher taxes on unhealthy food
James Mayer, Head of food firm Danone in the UK and Ireland, has called for higher taxes on sugary, salty and fatty foods. He said "The UK food industry's efforts to improve the health profile of its products have not moved fast enough," and that it was time for the government to make a "meaningful intervention".
Lifestyle Medicine teaches clinicians to support patients with all their options to improve mental health; including improved nutrition which in some trials has been shown to be as or more effective than antidepressants. Work in the consulting room needs to be supported by policy to ensure equal and easier access to better quality food .
Obesity Position Statement on Medical Nutrition Therapy for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Adults
Can dementia risk be reduced by following the American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7?
Other Lifestyle Medicine Articles, Studies or Events
Summer School: Nutritional Psychiatry & Culinary Medicine - 2 Day Intensive
LATEST NEWS AT BSLM
Scaling group consultations - the fourth healthcare revolution: A call to action to save primary care
Fraser Birrell, Dennis Collen, Muir Gray
Abstract
Compelling arguments support scaling of group consultations across the National Health Service (NHS) and globally. We need to recognise self-care is the most important type of care for people with long-term health problems. Healthcare systems like the NHS are essential for diagnosis, acute care and initiating optimal therapy but peo- ple are on their own over 99.95% of waking hours.
We must accept and encourage the contribution that other people with the same long-term health problems can make and enable both types of care through face-to-face and virtual group consultations. Patients and communities need agency and choice to implement and access these patient-centred and codesigned care models. This can bring system benefits, mapped to healthcare’s quintuple aim, to those electing to use group consultations and even those who do not.
The process of both training and delivering group consultation models can create and sustain compassionate communities and this ‘Fourth Healthcare Revolution’ may be exactly what is needed to save primary care.
BSLM2023 | June Featured Abstracts
We have two more abstracts to focus on this month, in the lead up to BSLM 2023. A reminder that the submission deadline for abstracts has been extended to Friday 30th June at 9pm.
Title: Lifestyle Medicine brief intervention: Enhancing habits and skills of healthcare professionals in 'Magallanes y la Antárctica Chilena region' to treat patients with lifestyle-related diseases.
Author: Paloma Correa, MD, MSc Lifestyle Medicine, DiplIBLM, Founder member of the Chilean Society of Lifestyle Medicine. Active member BSLM
"I submitted an abstract of my work because I want to share the experience and results of an intervention in an underserved, remote region in the south of Chile with exceptionally high rates of non-communicable chronic diseases.
I hope this will encourage other colleagues to use cost-effective, online tools and interventions to help disadvantaged or hard-to-reach populations using Lifestyle changes, as people in these areas often need it the most.
Also, I want to emphasize the importance of spreading Lifestyle medicine knowledge among healthcare professionals so that they can enhance their own well-being and apply these concepts in their everyday clinical practice."
Title: Participant experiences of the NHS low-calorie diet programme as a treatment for type-2 diabetes
Author: Luke Gribbin
"I wanted to submit an abstract to the BSLM conference to share my findings about the impact of total diet replacement for type 2 diabetes on the lives of participants involved. I really enjoyed speaking to participants and finding out about their experience, and think it is important to understand the successes and challenges faced so that diet replacement programs can be made as effective as possible"
Lifestyle Medicine in Practice: How you can bring your Lifestyle Medicine techniques into the real-world
FEATURED BSLM EVENTS
Head to the dedicated BSLM events page for the full list of upcoming events
Lifestyle Medicine Start-Up Workshop
Tuesday 20th June | 12:30pm - 5pm | Online on Zoom
Join us on Tuesday 20th June for a Lifestyle Medicine Start-up Workshop, equipping you with knowledge and tools you’ll need to set up a lifestyle medicine organisation, initiative or programme.
This workshop is an opportunity to learn from a range of excellent speakers who will provide their individual expertise, and enable you to make the key steps in implementing your own practice or initiative. From how to get started, to marketing online; we’re bringing it all together, for this half day event. This workshop is suitable for those looking to set up both private and funded/charitable clinics, so make sure you come along!
BSLM June Webinar
BSLM members can register for May's monthly webinar series on Tuesday 20th June at 7pm.
Two great topics this month from Drs Chris Lambert-Gorwyn and Laura Marshall Andrews. Chris's Problem-solving Masterclass will help you get more of your ideal clients walking through your door, while Laura will discuss her journey in setting up an Integrated NHS GP practice.
NHS NETWORKS
Enhancing your emotional intelligence
Have you ever questioned why certain people just know what to say to not offend or anger us, regardless of the circumstance? Others seem to manage their feelings and stress levels more easily. Everybody has emotional intelligence; some individuals are simply more conscious of it than others. The good news is it can be developed.
Rural practices in Malling PCN share CPCS rollout success
Two practices in the Malling Primary Care Network (PCN) have demonstrated the benefit of rural dispensing practices referring to the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS).
Email us - office@bslm.org.uk
