Global trends, applications, and achievements in Lifestyle Medicine were discussed at the International Conference on Healthy Lifestyle, held as part of the Jockey Club We WATCH Healthy Lifestyle Project on July 15.  

The conference highlighted the rapidly evolving field of Lifestyle Medicine, which utilizes evidence-based therapeutic lifestyle interventions as a primary approach to preventing, treating, and managing chronic diseases. Experts explored the positive role of Lifestyle Medicine in addressing global population ageing and the opportunities and obstacles in its implementation.

In the face of rising non-communicable diseases, Lifestyle Medicine offers a proactive, person-centred alternative to traditional reactive care. “Non-communicable diseases kill 41 million people each year, equivalent to 74% of all deaths globally in people under the age of 70”, according to Dr. Rob Lawson, the International Director of the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine. He underscored its potential to significantly reduce the disease burden and limit projected economic losses of US$47 trillion by 2030.

As a public health initiative on Lifestyle Medicine, the Jockey Club We WATCH Healthy Lifestyle Project aims to support middle-aged individuals in adopting Lifestyle Medicine. Over a six-month period, participants receive professional health coaching, empowering them to adopt sustainable lifestyle changes in line with the “prevention is better than cure” principle. This initiative empowers individuals to take an active role in their health journey, helping to stem the tide of chronic illness.

Ms Susan Tan, President of the Society of Behavioural Health, Singapore, advocated for proactive, coaching-based healthcare to extend health spans. She emphasized that health coaching is instrumental in bridging behavioural gaps in care, enhancing disease prevention, and supporting self-management of chronic conditions. Through structured frameworks, motivational interviewing, and personalised planning, health coaches help individuals set achievable goals and build the confidence to follow through.

Implementing Lifestyle Medicine in primary care and the community also requires collaboration of innovators, practitioners, and policymakers. It challenges them to not only treat disease, but to cultivate the conditions that allow wellness to thrive for everyone, at every age.

The Jockey Club We WATCH Healthy Lifestyle Project was conducted from 2022 to 2025. According to Professor Samuel Wong, Director of The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, CUHK, approximately half of the participants with pre-hypertension saw their blood pressure return to normal. Additionally, over half of those with borderline or high blood lipid levels achieved normalization.

Picture credits: The Jockey Club We WATCH Healthy Lifestyle Project

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