Happy New Year!

Good health isn't something that you start on

January first and forget about two weeks later.

It is a lifestyle and a way of life that comes from

determined and thoughtful consideration

of what is best for your body and your health.

This month, Western Washington Medical Group Family Medicine is starting a program for people who want to thoughtfully and with determination consider what is best for their bodies and their health. Their program of Lifestyle Medicine is one way that you can make the changes you want in your life whether you have chronic disease or are only a few pounds overweight.

According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 1.7 million Americans die, and 25 million are disabled each year due to chronic diseases caused or made worse by unhealthy lifestyles. At the recent American College of Lifestyle Medicine conference in San Antonio, TX, the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin, emphasized that it is time to change how we treat those with chronic illnesses. Her focus was toward Lifestyle Medicine, which she believes needs to be the priority treatment for chronic illnesses. When combined with Primary Care, it can drastically save and change lives.

So what is Lifestyle Medicine and how, on a practical level, does it work?

Lifestyle Medicine makes use of lifestyle interventions as the primary therapeutic tool in the prevention, treatment and management of disease. At Western Washington Medical Group Family Medicine, we focus on being proactive with the whole person, including the use of exercise, nutrition, stress reduction, and soul-care exercises in order to provide patients with the unique tools and personal encouragement they need to turn doctors’ suggestions into real, lasting lifestyle changes.

At WWMG the “group appointment” format is used, along with one-to-one visits with a Lifestyle Medicine physician. Physicians walk together with patients, breaking things down to small, manageable steps for lasting impact. WWMG firmly believes that small, slow, steady steps lead to lasting lifestyle changes. And that translates into healthier people and healthier communities.

Lifestyle Medicine classes start in January and include Weight Management, Chronic Disease Management, and Wellness Cuisine (gourmet cooking classes taught by a doctor who is a trained amateur gourmet cook). Lifestyle Medicine classes are perfect for people with diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, or chronic disease, and for those wanting to manage their weight.

To schedule an appointment, the public can call 425-317-8025 and they can also request a brochure to learn more about experiencing good health.

The Lifestyle Medical Group Visits are at the Silver Lake Medical Center at 12728 19th Avenue SE, Everett, WA 98208.

 

Are you ready to give up the resolutions and

change your lifestyle for good? Take the first

step and call Family Medicine.