By V.Sankara
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 8 (Bernama) -- Lifestyle medicine should be integrated into primary healthcare through structured training for healthcare professionals to strengthen Malaysia’s fight against Type 2 diabetes, said the Malaysian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (MSLM).
MSLM founding president Dr Siva Poobalasingam said the approach would enable healthcare professionals to better prevent and manage Type 2 diabetes and, where clinically appropriate, help eligible patients achieve remission through evidence-based lifestyle interventions.
The call comes following Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad’s recent revelation that Type 2 diabetes is now being diagnosed among Malaysians as young as 14, highlighting the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and the need for more effective interventions.
“Prevention remains the cornerstone of public health, but we must also recognise that many Malaysians are already living with Type 2 diabetes.
“Our healthcare system should be equipped not only to prevent the disease, but also to manage it effectively and, where appropriate, help suitable patients achieve remission through structured lifestyle medicine programmes,” he told Bernama.
He said this would require systematic education and training for doctors, nurses, dietitians, and other allied healthcare professionals so they could confidently prescribe and support therapeutic lifestyle interventions alongside conventional medical treatment.
“Lifestyle medicine is not an alternative to conventional medicine. It is an integral component of standard clinical care that addresses the root causes of chronic diseases through sustainable behaviour change based on scientific evidence,” he said.
Dr Siva said lifestyle medicine is founded on six evidence-based pillars -- healthy nutrition, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of harmful substances and positive social connections -- which collectively support metabolic health and help reduce the progression of chronic diseases.
He said Malaysia had already demonstrated its potential in the field through the World Health Organisation (WHO)-Ministry of Health (MOH) Lifestyle Medicine for Remission of Diabetes pilot project, which produced encouraging outcomes within the public healthcare system.
“The pilot project has also shown that structured lifestyle interventions delivered by trained healthcare professionals can result in positive behaviour modification, leading to better management of Type 2 diabetes and remission in some individuals,” he said.
Dr Siva, who served as the Lifestyle Medicine expert consultant for the WHO-MOH project, said the initiative had also been featured on the WHO website, reflecting international recognition of Malaysia’s efforts to integrate lifestyle medicine into diabetes care.
He said that Malaysia had also contributed to Civil 20 (C20) discussions by advancing proposals on lifestyle medicine and diabetes remission for consideration by G20 leaders, reflecting growing international recognition of lifestyle medicine as an important component of chronic disease management.
Dr Siva, who is also Chair of the Advisory Board of the Lifestyle Medicine Global Alliance, said investment in structured training for healthcare professionals would be critical to scaling up lifestyle medicine nationwide.
“If we empower our healthcare workforce with the right knowledge and skills, Malaysia can move beyond a healthcare model focused primarily on treating chronic diseases towards one that also restores health, improves quality of life and reduces the long-term burden of non-communicable diseases,” he also said.
Meanwhile, Dr Siva added that the 6th Malaysian Lifestyle Medicine Conference, themed “Lifestyle Medicine: The Foundation of Longevity Medicine”, will be held from Oct 24 to 26, 2026, at Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.
For more information or registration, visit lifestylemedicinemalaysia.org, email info@lifestylemedicinemalaysia.org or call +6012-393 5016.
-- BERNAMA