British Society of Lifestyle Medicine (BSLM)

The BSLM is an independent charity set up to promote the role of lifestyle medicine in improving people’s health and wellbeing. They empower healthcare professionals to support patients to prevent, manage and even reverse many chronic conditions through education and connection to their like-minded community.

Lifestyle Medicine is evidence-based, clinical care that supports behaviour change through person-centred techniques to improve mental wellbeing, social connection, healthy eating, physical activity, sleep and minimisation of harmful substances and behaviours.

It acknowledges the need for action on socio-economic determinants of health, provides education around the 6 key pillars as well proven techniques to sustain lifestyle changes.

The society was founded in 2016 by two GPs and a surgeon - Dr Rob Lawson, Laurence Stewart and Dr Michael Boyle.

They now have more than 3000 members focusing on multi-disciplinary teams including primary and secondary care clinicians, allied and public health professionals, scientists, educators, researchers and patients.

They are part of the World Lifestyle Medicine Organisation, a network of lifestyle medicine societies in countries across the world, and the European Lifestyle Medicine Council.

There are no pre-requisites to membership beyond an assumption that the BSLM mission statement resonates with members and with which they agree. mission
It is their mission to equip and inspire healthcare professionals and patients with the knowledge and skills to support sustainable lifestyle changes. Aims
Their key aims are to …
• Raise awareness of the principles and practice of lifestyle medicine
• Promote greater adoption of lifestyle medicine in healthcare and society
• Provide opportunities for learning and knowledge sharing among healthcare professionals around lifestyle medicine
• Develop a solid evidence-base to support the use of lifestyle medicine in the treatment, management and reversal of chronic disease