Dr. Elisabeth Fontaine was recently recognized for outstanding achievement in the field of Lifestyle Medicine by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM).

Dr. Fontaine was one of 6 people to be inducted in October at a ceremony at the annual Lifestyle Medicine Conference in Indianapolis, IN. To earn the distinction of Fellow, a physician must be engaged in the practice, teaching or research of lifestyle medicine and certified in other specialty of medicine recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. The ACLM requires that Fellows be members in good standing, provide sponsorship letters establishing their worthiness for consideration, demonstrate high standards of professional development and participate in ACLM committees, societies, functions or publications.

“Earning Fellow status is symbolic of my dedication to achieving the highest possible professional standards for Lifestyle Medicine. This growing field of medicine is a critical part of the future of healthcare and I want NMC to lead the charge toward improving well-being and lowering healthcare costs,” said Dr. Fontaine.

Lifestyle Medicine is a newly recognized field that uses strategies such as a healthy diet, physical activity and stress management to prevent, treat, and, oftentimes, reverse lifestyle-related, chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity. Articles devoted to lifestyle medicine have been increasing, indicating that lifestyle medicine is becoming popular around the world.  It is actively developing in America, Australia, and several European and Asian countries.

“The importance of lifestyle changes in terms of a new medical paradigm to solve chronic diseases is becoming popular,” said Dr. Fontaine.  “As Lifestyle Medicine physicians, we partner with our patients in their health and wellbeing, collaborating with experts in many fields such as nutrition, exercise, psychology, etc. Rather than having patients simply following doctor’s orders for prescribed treatments, patients are actively engaged in self-management. To help support our patients in their journey to optimal health, at NMC, we have trained our Lifestyle Medicine team in health coaching to help individuals change their behaviors and their lifestyles. It is not a quick fix, but it does make sustainable long term change possible.”