Conference Wrap-Up

‘At the WHO [World Health Organization], Puska directed the work on integrated prevention of noncommunicable diseases targeting the main risk factors (tobacco, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity) through health promotion, national programs, policy measures, and regional networks.’

The 2019 annual American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) conference at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, FL, was by every measure our biggest and best ever. Our sold-out event, which celebrated ACLM’s 15th anniversary, had 1500 registrants, our largest-ever attendance. Registrants came from around the globe, representing 36 countries. In addition to the main days of the event, both pre- and post-conference workshops were sold out.

The conference saw many firsts, including our first live-streamed session (on Facebook Live) for the Monday night keynote address with Dr Dean and Anne Ornish and guest Dr Michael Dixon, medical advisor to His Royal Highness, Prince of Wales. The panel discussion included a video message to the audience from Prince Charles.

At the annual awards banquet, 3 new awards were presented.

The inaugural Dr Ancel Keys Award was presented to honor international public health leader and North Karelia Project Director Pekka Puska, MD, PhD, MPolSc, a Finnish professor, physician, and former member of the Finnish Parliament. Within 35 years, his work resulted in an 85% decline in the country’s annual heart disease mortality rate among the working-age population and a dramatic general improvement in public health. Turning an area in Finland with the highest heart disease death rate into one with the lowest, the project is widely seen as a model for successful population-based prevention of cardiovascular and other noncommunicable diseases.

Puska held the position of Director General of Finland’s National Institute for Health and Welfare from 2009 to 2013 and is currently a professor at University of Helsinki and University of Eastern Finland. He has twice served as a member of the Finnish Parliament, working on both its Health and Social Affairs and Education committees.

From 2001 to 2003, Puska served as the Director for Noncommunicable Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva. At the WHO, Puska directed the work on integrated prevention of noncommunicable diseases targeting the main risk factors (tobacco, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity) through health promotion, national programs, policy measures, and regional networks. His department’s work culminated in the adoption of the Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health by the World Health Assembly in 2004.

Internationally, Puska is past president of the International Association of National Public Health Institutes; he has also served as the chair of the Governing Council of the WHO International Agency for Cancer Research and as the president of the World Heart Federation. Domestically, Puska has served as the Chancellor of the University of Turku, Chair of the Finnish University Council, Member of Board of Academy of Finland, Chair of the National Nutrition Committee, and President of National Union of Finnish Students, in addition to other professional activities.

The Dr Ancel Keys Award was established to recognize a person who has made significant contributions to thought, evidence, practice, and policy through research and the application of scientific principles, with particular emphasis on public health issues and population science. The recipient must be highly respected through research and publications as a leader in epidemiology as well as biostatistics and nutrition, with concern for public as well as individual health. The recipient must have shown courage in taking an evidence-based public policy stance. It will be awarded by the ACLM every 3 years.

The Keys Award is named in honor of Ancel Keys, who began his career in physiology and moved into public health with experiments to meet wartime needs for survival rations (the “K-ration”) and to renourish the starving survivors of war in Europe. After the war, Keys became interested in tracing the causes and prevention of cardiovascular diseases, initiating studies that included the landmark epidemiologic “Seven Countries Study” showing the correlation of dietary saturated fat to heart disease. He named and evaluated body mass index as an indicator of adiposity, and with his wife also introduced the Mediterranean Diet.

ACLM’s inaugural Award of Excellence was presented to the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania, for the groundbreaking work and outstanding achievement by its Public Health faculty in establishing Europe’s first master’s degree in Lifestyle Medicine (Health Sciences). The year-and-a-half program trains students to (1) help people implement needed lifestyle changes in diet, exercise, risky behaviors, and psycho-emotional resilience; (2) evaluate the risk of harmful habits and addictions; (3) identify and assess environmental, lifestyle, psychological, and biological health risk factors; and (4) prioritize the importance of lifestyle in health strategy and policies.

The inaugural President’s Award was presented to Susan Benigas for her outstanding achievement as ACLM’s executive director for the past 5 years, among the accomplishments of which has been an over 500% membership growth.

Conference keynote speaker represented many lifestyle medicine luminaries, including Dean Ornish; MD; our first Nobel Laureate, Elizabeth Blackburn, PhD; Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams with ACLM Board Member Michelle McMacken, MD; Executive Director of the Veterans Health Administration’s National Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation, Tracy Gaudet, MD; leading author and former Chief Medical Officer of UnitedHealthcare Archelle Gieorgiou, MD; former President of the American College of Sports Medicine Walter Thompson, PhD; NY Times bestselling author and ACLM Fellow Michael Greger, MD; Professor of Health Metrics Sciences at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and Chief Strategy Officer for Population Health at the University of Washington Ali Mokdad, PhD; and Director of the Longevity Institution at the USC School of Gerontology Valter Longo, PhD.

Our annual membership meeting highlighted our growing ACLM staff, solid financial footing, and growing membership.

The conference took time to recognize the organization’s 15th anniversary. Activities included recognition of all past, present, and future presidents and unveiling of our 15-year history timeline.

In addition to the many outstanding keynotes, breakout presentations, workshops, and poster presentations, our Board, trainees, Lifestyle Medicine Global Alliance, Corporate Roundtable, Member Interest Groups, and task forces met over the course of the conference to continue their critical work to advance lifestyle medicine in the United States and abroad. Exhibitors, many of whom are CRT members, were able to personally engage with our attendees, and book signings offered the same personal interaction with newly published authors. At least 150 runners, joggers, and walkers participated in the Trainee’s Fun Run.

A record number of 530-plus attendees sat for the ABLM (American Board of Lifestyle Medicine) and ACLM certification exams at the conclusion of the conference, and the ranks of the certified in the United States now include 321 additional physicians, 94 additional PhD/master’s level, and 60 additional bachelor’s level diplomates.

For me, in addition to the tremendous learning opportunities our annual conference always provides, my biggest takeaway was the many excellent opportunities to network with and learn from the other passionate professionals in our growing specialty area of lifestyle medicine. The hallway discussions, corner huddles, and meal conversations were robust.

And speaking of meals, once again we challenged the staff of a very large hotel to accommodate our healthy dietary lifestyle, and the challenge was met by the Rosen Shingle Creek staff. In fact, the pre-conference culinary workshops were held at the Rosen Culinary Institute at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management in Orlando.

I would like to thank everyone involved in the event and who attended. It truly seems our time has come to become the foundation of health and health care. We encourage you all to register for LM2020, at the Omni La Costa in Carlsbad, CA, November 1 to 4, 2020. Our theme will be “Patient Centered. Value Based. Outcome Driven.”

See you next time!