Imagine improving your health through practical, everyday choices. At The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, our Lifestyle Medicine Program helps you control and even prevent chronic diseases like diabetes and dementia by addressing habits that matter most – nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress reduction and other lifestyle factors. Whether you want to lower your disease risk, reduce your medications or simply feel your best, our team will guide you with proven, research-based strategies for lasting change.
What is lifestyle medicine?
Lifestyle medicine is an evidence-based medical specialty using lifestyle interventions as a primary way to improve your health. Appointments take place virtually through telehealth and are held in collaboration with the rest of your care team. Our approach is rooted in research-based science and personalized to your specific health goals.
How lifestyle medicine helps manage chronic disease
Instead of focusing only on prescriptions or procedures, lifestyle medicine emphasizes six lifestyle areas that directly influence long-term health:
- Nutrition: Emphasizing whole, plant-predominant foods
- Physical activity: Encouraging regular, sustainable movement
- Sleep: Promoting restorative sleep habits
- Stress reduction: Teaching resilience and mindfulness techniques
- Substance avoidance: Supporting reduction or elimination of risky substances
- Social connection: Fostering meaningful relationships and support systems
How lifestyle medicine differs from traditional medical care
Most conventional medical care focuses on diagnosing disease and managing symptoms, often through medications or procedures. While these treatments are often necessary, they don’t always address what causes chronic illness.
Lifestyle medicine takes a different approach by focusing on what’s driving a condition and how to change it. By targeting root causes such as poor nutrition, inactivity, stress and sleep problems, lifestyle medicine can help you prevent or improve a chronic condition and reduce the need for medication.
Lifestyle medicine doesn’t replace traditional medicine. It enhances it through proven healthy lifestyle strategies, so you can benefit from both advanced medical treatments and long-term health solutions.
Why choose lifestyle medicine?
Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death and disability – but many are preventable and even reversible. Lifestyle medicine empowers you to take control of your health with sustainable changes that address the root causes of illness, not just the symptoms.
Whether you're managing a chronic condition or simply want to feel your best, our team partners with you to create a plan that fits your life.
Conditions that lifestyle medicine can treat
Our Lifestyle Medicine Program supports people with a wide range of chronic conditions, including:
- Cardiovascular diseases, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease
- Metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes, prediabetes and obesity
- Digestive conditions
- Autoimmune and inflammatory conditions like arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease
- Cancer risk reduction and survivorship support
- Respiratory conditions, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Mental health and brain health, including depression, anxiety and cognitive decline
- Women’s health concerns
- Sleep disorders, such as insomnia and sleep apnea
Common lifestyle medicine interventions
Lifestyle medicine recommendations from our team of experts are customized to your specific needs and developed together with you to be sustainable and practical. Examples include:
- Nutrition and plant-based eating plans
- Exercise and movement prescriptions
- Sleep health and recovery
- Stress management and mindfulness
- Avoiding risky substances, such as smoking, alcohol and drugs
- Social connection and emotional well-being
What to expect as a lifestyle medicine patient
Lifestyle medicine appointments take place on our easy-to-use telehealth platform. With telehealth, you can conveniently access a personalized care plan, backed by research, to help you gain control of your health. All you need is a smartphone, tablet or computer with internet access.
Our virtual visits offer:
- Convenience: No travel or waiting rooms.
- Accessibility: Reach our specialists from anywhere in Ohio.
- Continuity: Stay connected with your care team between visits.
- Privacy and security: HIPAA-compliant technology ensures that your information remains confidential.
How to access lifestyle medicine care
Lifestyle medicine care is covered by insurance, and getting started is easy:
- Request a referral: Ask your doctor to send a referral to Ohio State Lifestyle Medicine – Internal Medicine. If your doctor is outside of the Ohio State system, use this referral link.
- Request an appointment: If you’re unable to secure a referral from your doctor, email us at lifestylemedicine@osumc.edu, and we will contact you for an appointment.
- Prepare for your telehealth visit: We’ll send you instructions and a secure link.
- Meet your provider: Join your video visit from anywhere in Ohio.
- Follow up: Access a personalized plan and resources through MyChart.
Why choose the Ohio State Lifestyle Medicine Program?
Our board-certified lifestyle medicine physicians within the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center Department of Internal Medicine are dedicated to helping you prevent, treat and even reverse chronic disease through evidence-based lifestyle changes. Our telehealth model ensures that you’ll receive expert care, wherever you are, with convenience, compassion and continuity.
Meet the lifestyle medicine team
Contact us
Questions? Email us at lifestylemedicine@osumc.edu or call us at 614-293-7499.