About Us

The BSLM is an independent charity set up to promote the role of lifestyle medicine in improving people’s health and wellbeing. We empower healthcare professionals to support patients to prevent, manage and even reverse many chronic conditions through education and connection to our like-minded community.

Lifestyle Medicine is evidence-based, clinical care that supports behaviour change through person-centred techniques to improve mental wellbeing, social connection, healthy eating, physical activity, sleep and minimisation of harmful substances and behaviours.

It acknowledges the need for action on socio-economic determinants of health, provides education around the 6 key pillars as well proven techniques to sustain lifestyle changes.

The society was founded in 2016 by two GPs and a surgeon – Dr Rob Lawson, Laurence Stewart and Dr Michael Boyle.

We now have more than 3000 members focusing on multi-disciplinary teams including primary and secondary care clinicians, allied and public health professionals, scientists, educators, researchers and patients.

We are part of the World Lifestyle Medicine Organisation, a network of lifestyle medicine societies in countries across the world, and the European Lifestyle Medicine Council.

mental health can be affected by lifestyle medicine

Our Aims

It is our mission to equip and inspire healthcare professionals and patients with the knowledge and skills to support sustainable lifestyle changes.

Our key aims are to …

  • Raise awareness of the principles and practice of lifestyle medicine
  • Promote greater adoption of lifestyle medicine in healthcare and society
  • Provide opportunities for learning and knowledge sharing among healthcare professionals around lifestyle medicine
  • Develop a solid evidence-base to support the use of lifestyle medicine in the treatment, management and reversal of chronic disease
about BSLM conference

Mission statement

BSLM is an independent, evidence-informed, non-profit-making and diverse regulated charitable organisation dedicated to promoting lifestyle as medicine as per our mission statement with honesty, transparency and integrity.

In particular BSLM recognises the primacy of science, and promotes the adoption of practical tools in management of the wider determinants of lifestyle related disease. BSLM does not adhere to any single approach to nutrition, and encourages a range of dietary approaches that are supported by appropriate scientific evidence. It has no religious affiliations and no political affiliations.

BSLM is registered as a member of the World Lifestyle Medicine Organisation (WLMO) which has (free) membership for properly constituted Lifestyle Medicine Societies around the world. We are regulated by the Office of Scottish Charities Regulator and produce annual reports and independently verified accounts for lodging and public scrutiny.

Our income derives from membership subscriptions, educational events and course programmes. Our outgoings relate solely to BSLM activities including running educational events for society members, health professionals, students and members of the public.

All the Trustees are elected at our AGM and serve out their duties very diligently. None of the Trustees benefit financially from membership of BSLM. Those who are doctors are encouraged to register their financial interests with whopaysthisdoctor.org.

There are no pre-requisites to membership beyond an assumption that the BSLM mission statement resonates with members and with which they agree.

If you’d like to view the BSLM constitution, click here.

Our Annual Report

The British Society of Lifestyle Medicine is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation.

View our annual report and financial statement for the year ended 31st October 2023

Want to find out more about what BSLM does? Check out some of our recent blog posts!

Blog
Before the UK had a national health service, it had a national restaurant service… is it time for the two to work side by side?
Blog
Government u-turn on promoting ‘nutritious food’ is hard to digest in the face of spiralling obesity rates and costly anti-obesity medications.
Blog
The Broad Benefits of Lifestyle Medicine
Blog
I Wish My GP Had Known This! Thoughts on Living Proof’s ‘Medicine and the Mind-Brain-Body Connection’ course for GPs, from a former “heartsink” patient.