ST. LOUIS, July 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --In response to the alarming prevalence and impact of chronic disease and health disparities in the U.S., the 4,500-member American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) has launched a national campaign to promote the treatment and reversal of chronic disease through evidence-based Lifestyle Medicine.

The convergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and racial unrest has been a wake-up call on the state of our individual and collective health, highlighting health disparities and faults in our health care system and medical schools.Our nation's lack of health has left us blindsided and vulnerable to the ravages of COVID-19, particularly in minority and underservedcommunities.

Chronic disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the U.S., having reached epidemic proportions. Sixty percent of American adults now live with at least one chronic condition, while 42 percent have more than one. African American adults in particular are more likely to have high blood pressure and diabetes, in part due to the chronic, toxic stress associated with racism. Chronic disease now accounts for as much as 86 percent of all health care expenditures. Yet our health care and medical education systems focus on chronic disease management rather than the health restoration provided by addressing its root-causes. Despite most chronic diseases being caused by unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, training in the pillars of Lifestyle Medicine has been virtually non-existent in medical schools.

Lifestyle Medicine is the use of a whole food, plant-predominant dietary lifestyle, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances and positive social connection as a primary therapeutic modality for treatment and reversal of chronic disease.

ACLM President Dr. Dexter Shurney and other Lifestyle Medicine experts are available for media interviews and background. See our media kit: https://bit.ly/2O7loms.

Topics ACLM experts can be resources for include:

ACLM provides live and online CME-accredited events and courses for physicians and allied health professionals across the continuum of medical education, as well as certification, clinical practice tools, patient education resources, economic research, networking opportunities and advocacy. Board certification has been available since 2017.

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American College of Lifestyle Medicine Launches Campaign to Promote Treatment and Reversal of Chronic Disease with Lifestyle Medicine - WFMZ Allentown