Lifestyle Medicine, 3rd Edition

In his third edition of the book Lifestyle Medicine, James Rippe, MD, has continued his leadership in the lifestyle medicine arena by coordinating a detailed summary of the scientific evidence behind the rapidly growing field of lifestyle medicine. This comprehensive 1435-page volume is divided into 126 chapters, all organized into 20 sections, each separately coordinated and edited. In total, over 250 authors contributed their subject expertise, ensuring a scientific breadth and perspective that is completely unmatched in the discipline of lifestyle medicine. Although the book is most remarkable for its comprehensive depth, this third edition has also been organized in a practical way that includes key points as each chapter begins, and clinical applications at the end of each chapter. The clinical application sections include recommended actions as well as tools and resources for implementing those actions, adding usefulness for practicing lifestyle medicine physicians and health care professionals.

In this third edition, there are 2 new sections not present in the second edition. The Practice of Lifestyle Medicine section, authored by leading practitioners of lifestyle medicine, adds, among others, practical summaries of lifestyle medicine definitions, core competencies, clinical practices, and intensive therapeutic lifestyle change programs. The Substance Abuse and Addiction section recognizes that whether its addiction to nicotine, opioids, or other substances, successful treatment is critical in the practice of lifestyle medicine, and in fact the principles are core to all health behavior change. Lifestyle medicine pillars are addressed in the sections on nutritional aspects of lifestyle medicine, physical activity, and a stand-alone section on behavioral medicine. There are also separate practical sections on lifestyle medicine–related topics such as obesity and weight management, exercise psychology, injury prevention, and cardiovascular rehabilitation. Organ- or system-related sections include the role of lifestyle medicine in cardiovascular disease, endocrinology, cancer, infectious disease, pulmonary medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology. Other sections focus on the application of lifestyle medicine to specific populations, including sections on women’s health, pediatrics, and geriatrics. Finally, there are practical sections on health promotion as well as public policy and environmental supports for lifestyle medicine.

Lifestyle Medicine, third edition, more so than either of the previous editions, incorporates and summarizes various discussions and debates found globally throughout the lifestyle medicine movement. Specifically, in the field of nutrition, the value of whole food plant-based approaches are reviewed in multiple sections, but the science behind other dietary methodologies are also evaluated and summarized. Although some lifestyle medicine practitioners might not agree with all the documented conclusions, or ask for a stronger review of certain lifestyle medicine areas such as the place for sleep, rest, stress reduction, and connectedness in disease treatment and prevention, overall this text provides a stable, comprehensive approach. And, most important, it offers an objective and balanced summary of the evidence base undergirding the field of lifestyle medicine.

There are multiple reasons this reference is significant. First, because the evidence for lifestyle medicine comes from a spectrum of fields and disciplines, a textbook summary of the broad lifestyle medicine science does not occur naturally. Lifestyle Medicine, third edition, fills that gap. Second, the field of lifestyle medicine challenges many traditional health care delivery approaches and institutions. If practices are going to shift away from the current heavy reliance on pharmaceuticals and medical devices, the evidence for this must be meticulously and scientifically summarized. This text achieves that. Third, the growth in lifestyle medicine has come from many sectors, some of which do not have traditional evidence-based foundations. This volume documents that, even though there may be significant value in nontraditional components, the field of lifestyle medicine is firmly rooted in evidence-based methods that can be accepted and embraced by even those most particular with their science. And finally, although the typical health care practitioner may recognize the value of lifestyle medicine in their field, it is frequently not incorporated into their practice at the level the evidence supports. This book provides useful tools and documented references that encourage individual practitioners toward incorporating lifestyle medicine as the foundation for all health care delivery.

Over the 20 years since the first edition of Lifestyle Medicine was published in 1999, the field of lifestyle medicine has established itself as a viable academic and clinical discipline. Since the second edition was published in 2013, the American College of Lifestyle Medicine has been recognized as the fastest growing medical specialty society in the United States. The lifestyle medicine movement is increasingly international as well, with active and rapidly growing lifestyle medicine societies in Great Britain, Australia, and over 40 other countries in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. Since 2017, certification in lifestyle medicine has been available and pursued by large numbers of professionals from around the globe. This third edition reestablishes itself as the gold standard reference text for not only those leading and developing specialty societies and lifestyle medicine departments around the world, but also for individuals preparing for certification and otherwise building their career around lifestyle medicine.