Lifestyle medicine should be part of national policy
Published: Sep. 28, 2026
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India cannot treat its way out of the growing epidemics of diabetes, obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cancer, mental illness, and other chronic diseases. Prevention must become the foundation of healthcare.
My journey into lifestyle medicine grew out of years of public health policy work in preventive health, nutrition and healthy ageing. It was also driven by the widespread misinformation surrounding diet, exercise, supplements, and healthy living. To address this gap, we wrote Lifestyle As Medicine: The Science of Healthy Living, an evidence-based resource developed in collaboration with eminent experts to promote a scientific understanding of lifestyle interventions.
We also organized a landmark national conclave at the Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, bringing together leading experts from across India to develop a roadmap for integrating lifestyle medicine into mainstream healthcare. The recommendations from this conclave were submitted to the Government of India (GoI) to support the incorporation of lifestyle medicine into national health policy.
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