The Institute of Lifestyle Medicine (ILM) was founded by Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Harvard Medical School to reduce the prevalence of lifestyle-related disease and mortality in our society through physician-directed interventions with patients.
Led by Edward M. Phillips, MD, one of the defining voices in the field of Lifestyle Medicine, the ILM is at the forefront of a broad-based collaborative effort to transform the practice of primary care medicine. This critical transformation is motivated by significant research indicating that modifiable behaviors—especially physical inactivity and unhealthy eating—are major drivers of disease and mortality. While the medical profession is generally aware of this, there has yet to be a systematic and comprehensive effort to incorporate Lifestyle Medicine into standard clinical practice.
A not-for-profit educational organization, the ILM is uniquely positioned to ignite physician involvement in Lifestyle Medicine by offering concrete tools and training to participating doctors, empowering them to facilitate behavioral change and the culture of health and wellness for their patients.