About Us

In response to the global NCD crisis, medical experts in each country have set up meetings. Japanese Society of Lifestyle Medicine (JSLM) is an organization that was established by medical practitioners who were interested in addressing Japanese NCDs. Gathering at academic meetings in the U.S., JSLM members began discussing forming a formal organization in 2015, and JSLM became an official organization in 2017. JSLM members are specialists in a wide range of fields such as doctors, public health specialists, medical researchers, medical policy specialists, medical educators, nurses, nutritionists, social workers, physiotherapists, clinical psychologists, health coaches, dentists, pharmacists, etc.

Non-communicable diseases (NCD) are increasingly contributing to lifestyle-related diseases such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiac disease, cerebral stroke, COPD, depression, dementia, chronic pain and sarcopenia. Lifestyle-related diseases have become a serious problem not only in Japan but across the world.
The main risk factors for NCDs are smoking, unhealthy food, lack of exercise, alcohol consumption and stress. More than 1.3 billion people worldwide are now obese / overweight, and the number of people with type 2 diabetes is expected to increase to 592 million by 2035. Furthermore, about 80% of NCD deaths occur in low / middle-income countries.
In Japan, the mortality rate from cancer is still high, accounting for about 29% of all deaths. Thus implementing integrated treatment programs such as healthy diet, exercise, stress improvement, vaccination, and early detection as effective primary preventive strategies, could potentially slow cancer growth rates . In addition, the number of people with dementia worldwide is projected to reach 135 million by 2050, threatening to significantly increase healthcare costs. The WHO is also considering including brain-related diseases such as dementia as a priority in the NCD portfolio.

Understanding Lifestyle Medicine (LM) and interdisciplinary collaboration between healthcare professionals

• For chronic diseases and complex symptoms related to lifestyle that can be prevented or ameliorated, we aim to prevent or treat NCDs more effectively with a multidisciplinary approach by applying the knowledge and technology of Lifestyle Medicine.
• We aim to provide healthcare professionals with the latest accurate, evidence-based knowledge, skills and education, and promote collaborative relationships that enable multidisciplinary approaches. To prevent and treat NCDs it’s essential that healthcare professionals be able to share and practice the kind of specialized knowledge that only practitioners in their respective fields know.
• Changing unhealthy behavior is the basis of disease prevention and health promotion. The behavioral transformations that JSLM targets include eliminating the use of tobacco, improving diet, promoting physical activity, decreasing alcohol consumption and relieving stress. However, Lifestyle Medicine seeks not only to reduce unhealthy habits but to promote the effective use of new technologies and approaches.
• JSLM believes that the basis of medical care is trusting relationships between doctors, healthcare professionals, patients and their families. We will work to improve global health by collaborating with local communities, interdisciplinary teams, policymakers, and healthcare professionals in other countries.
• We healthcare professionals have a mission to identify and eradicate the cause of disease. Lifestyle Medicine goes one step further, by seeking to raise patients’ awareness and to help prevent and treat disease, so you, your family, and your community can become healthier and happier.

Latest Activities of JSLM

April 2019: JSLM provided an introductory session of Lifestyle Medicine and JSLM at a meeting (in Tokyo).

August 2019: JSLM submitted a grant proposal with British Society of Lifestyle Medicine. https://bslm.org.uk/

October 2019: At the joint meeting of Japanese Society of Psychosomatic Medicine (in Osaka), JSLM introduced our current status and progress through a poster presentation. (photos)

http://jsp6cc.umin.jp

November 2019: At the meeting of the Center of Innovation Program （COI） members, at Tohoku University (in Sendai), JSLM made a presentation about JSLM’s activities.

http://www.coi.tohoku.ac.jp/en/

January 2020: JSLM provided a video call session which focused on qualifications and preparations of the Lifestyle Medicine Certification Board Exam.

May 2020: JSLM provided a video call session which focused on what lifestyle medicine is and where JSLM is going.

August 23 2020: JSLM provided a video call session which became the first lifestyle medicine workshop. (Flyer)

October 4 2020: JSLM provided a video call session “Lifestyle Medicine Certification Board Examination Follow-up” which was a pre-exam workshop for the IBLM Certification Board Exam which occurred in November.

November 15 2020: JSLM started a series of video call sessions “Lifestyle Medicine Journal Club” which was also preparation seminars for IBLM Board Certification Exam.

2021

January-October: The [Online] Journal Club was held once or twice a month.

July 10-11: Participated as a panelist at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Psychosomatic Medicine and the symposium on the theme, “Lifestyle and Psychosomatic Medicine (Session in Japanese)”. (Official website) (Meeting website) (Photo)

September 19-22: Chairman Tamami Shirai gave a lecture on the theme of “How Japanese achieved longevity and its miracle” at an academic meeting of the Romanian Lifestyle Medicine Society (Official website). (Flyer)

November 13-14: [Online] The 1st Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Lifestyle Medicine was held. (Download the meeting abstract)

November 27-December 11: The first IBLM board certification exam in Japanese was held in Japan.

December 2-5: Chairman Tamami Shirai gave a lecture at the academic meeting of the Pakistan Lifestyle Medical Society (Official website) (Convention website) , on the theme “How Japanese achieved longevity and its miracle”.

Late December: On-demand distribution of the 1st Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Lifestyle Medicine has started. (The distribution was ended on the 31st of March, 2022)

2022

April 24: [online] Certification exam briefing session was held.

January-October: [online] Journal club was held once a month.

October 1-2: The 2nd Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Lifestyle Medicine is scheduled was held. (Download the meeting abstract)

Early November: On-demand distribution of the 2nd Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Lifestyle Medicine has started. (The distribution was ended on the 28th of February, 2023)

JSLM is a sister organization of Lifestyle Medicine Global Alliance, International Board of Lifestyle Medicine and American College of Lifestyle Medicine. We are also interacting with other societies of Lifestyle Medicine.

E-mail:

General　office@lifestylemedicinejapan.org

Treasurer　committee1@lifestylemedicinejapan.org

Membership　committee2@lifestylemedicinejapan.org