WCM-Q at forefront of global push towards lifestyle medicine
Weill Cornell MedicineQatar (WCM-Q) has said it is now one of the leaders of a global movement towards lifestyle medicine, thanks to a “groundbreaking” certificate programme developed by the college’s Institute for Population Health.
The 60-hour Certificate in Lifestyle Medicine programme provides healthcare professionals with the skills and knowledge to use lifestyle medicine approaches such as eating a healthy, balanced diet, regular physical exercise and tobacco cessation to prevent and treat serious diseases like obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer and diabetes.
The latest edition of the certificate programme concluded recently and attracted a record number of participants, thanks in part to it being offered fully online for the first time due to the Covid-19 pandemic, WCM-Q said in a statement. In addition to providing guidance on nutrition, exercise and substance misuse, the programme also explains the benefits of healthy sleeping habits, social connectedness and stress management.
The programme is part of a wider drive by the Institute for Population Health to help promote a global trend towards the integration of lifestyle medicine approaches into conventional healthcare, which has typically emphasised treatment of disease by means of drug therapies and surgery.
Dr Ravinder Mamtani, vice-dean for Student Affairs-Admissions, Population Health and Lifestyle Medicine, said: “Despite the devastating impact of Covid-19, the leading causes of long-term illness and premature death remain non-communicable diseases like heart disease, diabetes and cancer. A wealth of scientific evidence shows us that these diseases can be very effectively treated, prevented and sometimes even reversed using lifestyle medicine approaches.”
Dr Ahmad al-Mulla, adviser to HE the Minister of Public Health and senior consultant, Public Health and Disease Control, said: “Qatar is dedicated to empowering both healthcare professionals and the general population to use lifestyle medicine approaches to improve human health. ”