In setting up a lifestyle medicine practice, patients should be stratified based on which criteria?

In establishing a lifestyle medicine practice, it is essential to stratify patients based on their risk level concerning unhealthy lifestyle practices. This approach is key because identifying individuals who are engaging in detrimental behaviors—such as poor diet, lack of physical activity, and inadequate sleep—allows healthcare providers to tailor interventions specifically aimed at addressing these habits.

By focusing on the absence of healthy lifestyle practices, practitioners can prioritize patients who may not be currently at risk for lifestyle-related diseases but are engaging in behaviors that could predispose them to such conditions in the future. This proactive approach enables early intervention, helping to prevent the development of chronic diseases, improving overall health outcomes, and promoting sustainable changes in lifestyle.

While evaluating the presence of lifestyle-related diseases is also important, focusing on the risk stemming from the absence of healthy practices is particularly effective in lifestyle medicine. It supports a comprehensive understanding of how lifestyle choices contribute to health and how modifying these behaviors can decrease risk and improve quality of life.