When it comes to health, Americans are not thriving.
Nearly 60% of adult Americans have at least one chronic disease. Experts predict that by 2030, half of Americans will be obese. Diabetes is on the rise, too—incidence rates in children and adolescents have never been higher.
“There aren’t enough stents, bypass surgeries, pills, or physicians in the world to treat these diseases,” says cardiologist Dr. Harvey Hahn. “Ozempic and Lipitor are not the answer. Patients must care for their bodies to prevent and treat these conditions, and physicians can play an important role in helping them do so.”
Dr. Hahn is one of many Kettering Health providers who is passionate about equipping patients to adopt practices that will help them live healthier, happier, and longer lives. He is a proponent of lifestyle medicine, a medical specialty using therapeutic lifestyle interventions as a primary modality to treat chronic conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.
When talking to his patients about making lifestyle changes, Dr. Hahn often shares John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Dr. Hahn explains to them, “God wants you to have an abundant life, but it’s not on a bunch of medicines.”
Continuing a tradition of whole-person care
Kettering Health has a long tradition of whole-person care rooted in Seventh-day Adventist tradition, which considers personal health a powerful expression of faith. Efforts to train Kettering Health providers in lifestyle medicine have gained momentum in recent years. Twenty-four physicians—including cardiovascular fellows, family medicine residents, and internal medicine residents—are enrolled in a training curriculum designed by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM). Those who complete the training can pursue board certification in the specialty. Three Kettering Health physicians are already board-certified in lifestyle medicine.
Interestingly, Adventist teachings about health and wellness align with ACLM’s six pillars: physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, positive social connections, and a whole-food, plant-predominant diet.
Training more physicians in lifestyle medicine
This year, thanks to a $69,000 grant from the Ardmore Foundation, Dr. Hahn is leading an effort to train even more providers and promote whole-person care for people in the communities we serve.
Initiatives include:
- Covering the cost of five more Kettering Health physicians to become certified in lifestyle medicine practice through ACLM
- Making the ACLM curriculum more robust by developing hands-on rotations with community partners
- Piloting lifestyle medicine programs (such as cooking classes and health lectures) for people in underserved communities.
“Our goals are to train as many physicians as possible and become known as the health system that provides whole-person care,” says Dr. Hahn, director of the cardiovascular fellowship training program. “Lifestyle medicine practices aren’t limited to family medicine, internal medicine, and cardiology—physicians from any specialty can use them to help patients live longer, healthier lives.”
