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February 2026
Welcome member to
Your Home of Lifestyle Medicine News
As we reach the end of February and notice the first signs of longer days, we hope 2026 is now feeling well underway for you and your teams.
As always, we would like to take this opportunity to thank our growing Membership and the diverse, passionate Lifestyle Medicine community around us. We are extremely grateful for your continued support and engagement, and for the role you play in building an inclusive and collaborative network across the UK and beyond.
Below, you will find your guide to all things Lifestyle Medicine this month, highlights from February at BSLM, and a look ahead to what's coming up in March.
In this month's newsletter...
HEADLINE NEWS
BSLM 2026 Countdown is Now On!
As you may have seen, BSLM 2026 launched at the end of last month, and the countdown is now on!
In her welcome message, Dr Frances Elliot, BSLM Chair, shares her excitement about bringing the community together this September at the University of Warwick. This year’s programme is built around our principles, pillars and skills approach, featuring real-life case studies, research and the inspiring work of our SIGs, Trailblazers and Members.
Alongside topics such as the gut microbiome, MSK and digital health, you can also expect opportunities to connect and recharge, from yoga and group runs to the evening event.
BSLM 2026 is designed to leave you feeling connected, balanced and empowered, with practical, evidence-based knowledge you can take back into your role.
If you haven't seen it already, make sure to check out our BSLM 2026 launch video...
…And keep an eye out for more details coming soon about this year’s evening event!
Countdown to the European Lifestyle Medicine Symposium 2026
As we build towards May, we are pleased to begin spotlighting the programme for the European Lifestyle Medicine Symposium 2026.
Hosted by the European Lifestyle Medicine Council in collaboration with the Croatian Lifestyle Medicine Association, the symposium will take place on 9th-10th May 2026 at the University of Split School of Medicine.
Centred on the theme Lifestyle Medicine: Bridging the Health Gap, this year’s programme will explore some of the most pressing and practical questions in prevention-led healthcare, including:
Are NCDs Preventable and Reversible? The Evidence
Drivers of Health and the wider determinants shaping outcomes
Lifestyle Medicine Around Europe: Challenges and Opportunities, including quality improvement
Across two days, the symposium will combine evidence-led presentations with interactive sessions designed to strengthen implementation, collaboration, and leadership across Europe.
LIFESTYLE MEDICINE IN FOCUS
Some noteworthy lifestyle medicine features within the recent news in Britain.
A recent BMJ article reviewed the current landscape of longevity medicine and its relationship to Lifestyle Medicine.
While longevity practitioners are exploring emerging diagnostics, AI tools, and experimental therapies, most remain in early stage and are not yet validated for routine clinical use.
The article emphasises that the strongest evidence for extending healthspan continues to come from structured lifestyle interventions. Sustained improvements in diet, physical activity, sleep, stress management, and social connection consistently support better metabolic, cardiovascular, and cognitive outcomes, and reduce the risk of chronic disease.
As health systems expand their emphasis on obesity treatment, the effectiveness of care increasingly depends on how consultations are framed.
In a recent BMJ opinion article, Dr Ellen Fallows, former BSLM Vice President, reflects on the limits of weight-centred consultations in time-pressured primary care. She argues that focusing primarily on weight or BMI may not always be effective, particularly given the well-described impact of weight stigma on health outcomes and healthcare engagement.
Dr Fallows highlights how shifting attention towards the socioeconomic, psychological and lifestyle drivers of ill health, and using person-centred consultation techniques to support sustainable change, may lead to more meaningful clinical encounters. Rather than treating weight or medication as endpoints in themselves, the article emphasises focusing on core lifestyle factors such as diet quality, physical activity, sleep, stress, and social connection as foundational to care.
This analysis aligns with a Lifestyle Medicine approach to weight management and raises important clinical questions about when weight should be discussed, how to avoid stigma in consultations, and how upstream determinants of health can be prioritised alongside new obesity treatments.
Other Lifestyle Medicine News and Events
We want to advise our readers that, as a charity, we welcome membership from organisations aligned with our aims, and in line with strict ethical and sponsorship policies in order to provide funding sources to the charity.
If you have a query around the subject matter we will happily discuss this with you, do drop us an email as we want to make sure this content is a good fit for you.
Introducing a New Org Member: Medical Defense Society
Introducing a breath of fresh air in medical defence and lifestyle indemnity.
At Medical Defense Society, we believe protecting those who care for others is more than a responsibility; it is a privilege. Like you, we have chosen to be different.
Our mission drives the products and services we create for you:
“We believe healthcare professionals deserve unwavering protection, clarity and confidence, so they can focus on caring for others without hesitation.”
We know modern practice is evolving fast. Lifestyle and functional medicine is not “alternative medicine”, it is modern medicine done properly. Yet too often, doctors are still forced into predefined membership boxes from yesteryear, with protection that doesn’t reflect how they actually work.
That’s why Medical Defense Society exists: to think differently, remove doubt, and reduce unnecessary complexity. It’s also why we have created indemnity specifically for Lifestyle & Functional Medicine.
We’ve taken a fresh look at how you actually practise and the risks associated with Lifestyle & Functional Medicine. The result is a tailored, transparent and thoughtfully designed membership which has: clear pricing, no hidden fees, flexible protection, and responsive medico-legal support when it matters most.
Every member is unique, and we stand alongside you as defenders, advocates, and partners.
To mark our new relationship with the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine, we’re delighted to offer BSLM members a 10% discount on membership. Simply quote BSLM26 when speaking to one of our advisors.
Warm regards, Rohan Simon CEO, Medical Defense Society
Yakult Science for Health Feature- New Resources: Fibre Foods
Yakult Science for Health are excited to share their NEW patient-friendly resource for HCPs. Fibre Foods is a practical resource you can use in clinic to help patients build fibre into everyday meals. The A5 handout shows various dietary fibre sources and provides practical tips to gradually increase intakes; complementing patient conversations where practical “what to eat” guidance is needed.
Click the link below to DOWNLOAD the FREE PDF or ORDER your FREE COPIES by emailing science@yakult.co.uk.
LATEST NEWS AT BSLM
Let's Walk More Campaign February Update
In the February update of our Let’s Walk More campaign, Sir Muir Gray reflects on the growing evidence showing that short bouts of brisk walking, sometimes described as “walk snacks”, can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease and early death. Just a few minutes of moderate intensity walking spread throughout the day can deliver meaningful benefits, particularly when combined with less time spent sitting.
Sir Muir Gray also highlights why walking is one of the most accessible ways to build activity into everyday life and why supportive environments in workplaces and communities are essential to make this possible at scale .
From Poster to Practice: The Value of Sharing Your Work
Dr Sally Giovannelli, BSLM Regional Lead for the East Midlands, has recently been invited to deliver a presentation on nutrition for the Chesterfield GP Training Scheme. This invitation followed her poster presentation, NHS Pilot Lifestyle Medicine Clinics, at BSLM 2025 in Brighton.
Her experience demonstrates the wider impact that sharing innovation and service development can have. Abstract submissions are not only an opportunity to present work to peers, but also a platform to influence training, spark collaboration and extend the reach of Lifestyle Medicine into mainstream clinical education.
If you are delivering innovative practice, piloting new services or evaluating outcomes within your setting, we strongly encourage you to consider submitting an abstract for this year’s conference. Sharing your work can open unexpected opportunities and contribute to strengthening preventative care across the system.
New Aligned Organisation: Big Health
Big Health is focused on improving population mental health through evidence-based, non-drug digital treatments for common conditions such as insomnia and anxiety. Its treatments, Sleepio (for insomnia) and Daylight (for anxiety), deliver structured cognitive behavioural therapy via smartphone app and are designed to support behaviour change, self-management and prevention at scale.
Both treatments are supported by randomised controlled trials and real-world outcomes data, with Sleepio recommended by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence as first-line CBT-I. Big Health operates within UK clinical, information and medical device governance standards, aligned with NICE’s Evidence Standards Framework for Digital Health Technologies.
In Scotland, Sleepio and Daylight are fully funded by NHS Scotland and available free of charge to all adults without referral. Through partnership with healthcare systems and professional bodies, Big Health supports clinicians to embed guideline-recommended digital treatments into routine care, improving access, reducing reliance on medication, and supporting holistic health and wellbeing.
Aligned Organisation Highlight: Virtual Village Hall
Introducing the Virtual Village Hall
A free, online activity hub and community, designed by Royal Voluntary Service to help people stay physically and mentally active, connected and having fun. Supporting people to better manage their health, including long-term conditions. More than 20,000 people use it each month.
Something for everyone
Live sessions every weekday, led by expert tutors, including some well-known faces. Activities include gentle exercise and dance (including adapted and seated sessions), yoga and meditation, crafts, cooking, creative writing and more, with new sessions added regularly. Join in live or catch up using the library of 3,000+ sessions. No sign in or subscription required.
Get moving!
2026 got off to an active start with Get Moving Week in partnership with Yakult. Exercise experts shared top tips to motivate us to move more, build healthy habits and feel great. Dr. Hussain Al-Zubaidi introduced us to ‘exercise snacking’ and there were all sorts of activities to try, like a fun Paso Doble class with Flavia Cacace. Find all Get Moving Week sessions here.
We wanted to highlight one of our partner courses- the Snackless 30 Day Programme.
Designed to help participants break long-standing snacking habits, this structured, results-focused course combines short daily audio coaching (just 7 minutes per day), weekly group Zoom sessions, 1:1 check-ins and WhatsApp support to help build sustainable discipline around food.
The programme costs £189, includes a money-back guarantee, and BSLM members can invite one other person to complete the course for free.
If you or your patients are looking to regain control around eating habits, you can find out more and join the waiting list at www.snacklessnow.com.
What's happening in our communities?
Live Well East Lothian Update
Is there something like Live Well East Lothian that you refer your patients to, or something that instills a sense of community and wellbeing? Let us know below, we'd love to share initiatives like this one near you!
Our Podcasts
Microbiome Medics' Newest Release:
S1 Ep.37: Killing 99.9% of the Wrong Things: The Hidden Cost of Disinfectants
FEATURED BSLM EVENTS
Head to the dedicated BSLM events page for the full list of upcoming events...
We hope you enjoyed our previous webinar:
... And are looking forward to our upcoming webinar in March, with more details coming soon!
Our previous webinars are below if you want to catch up on them!
Schedule the following in your diary for March 2026!
The European Planetary Health Alliance- The Silent Pandemic: Earth System Destabilization is Driving a Global Health Crisis | 3rd March 2026 | Webinar
In this talk Samuel S. Myers will draw on his recent publication, “Connecting planetary boundaries and planetary health: a resilient and stable Earth system is crucial for human health,” and will explore how destabilization of Earth’s natural systems is emerging as a defining global health challenge of our time.
Key Concepts in Research Design – An overview of the steps involved in planning a research project | 3rd March 2026 | Online Zoom
This one-hour seminar will provide an overview of the steps involved in planning a research project. This seminar is open to anyone with an interest in research and evidence-based practice.
ELC Programme | Launch Webinar: Women's Health Group Clinics | 4th March 2026 | Online Webinar
Get ready to find out how you can apply to be a site to deliver Group Clinics on Women's Health. This event is perfect for anyone interested in leadership or delivery of Group Clinics in Women's Health.
ELC Programme | Primary and Community Health Vanguard Programme | 5th March 2026 | Online Webinar
This event is perfect for health and care professionals, community workers, and anyone interested in improving community health outcomes through Group Clinics.
The CPOC/RCoA Patient Safety in Perioperative Practice | 12th March 2026 | Online Webinar
The Center for Perioperative Care is pleased to share details of an upcoming joint event with the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA). This one day meeting will focus on patient safety, exploring the barriers to delivering safe perioperative care and effective strategies to overcome them.
NNEdPro Summer School | 27th April 2026 | Online Blended Format
Foundation level certificate in Applied Human Nutrition covering basic nutritional concepts, through current research and methods, to prevention, healthcare and policy applications.
Learning Academy
This Month’s Learning Academy Update
Greetings from the learning academy. We hope you have been surviving all the rain…what better way to escape the weather than by getting your CPD ticked off with some e-learning? We are however very excited to note the arrival of slightly longer days, and daylight after 5pm!
This month the Learning Academy team were really pleased to contribute to the lifestyle medicine in practice study day, considering how the LMCA can support delivery of the NHS 10-year plan.
Our other major achievement this month has been the launch of our lifestyle medicine course for non-clinical staff which has been designed around the scope of practice of non-clinical team members including Health and Wellbeing coaches and Social Prescribing link workers amongst others. We hope that this course will be a brilliant Learning Academy asset and support those looking to integrate LM within their organisation to offer a whole team approach. If you work with these team members please do share the details of the course!
Thought about doing our Core Accreditation?
NHS NETWORKS
Top News Stories in February
The impact of ultra-processed food
Consultation to protect people from second-hand smoking & vaping
The impact of movement in adult social care
State of person centred care
Email us - office@bslm.org.uk
