Kuala lumpur: Lifestyle medicine should be integrated into primary healthcare through structured training for healthcare professionals to strengthen Malaysia's fight against Type 2 diabetes, said the Malaysian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (MSLM). MSLM founding president Dr. Siva Poobalasingam emphasized that this approach would enable healthcare professionals to better prevent and manage Type 2 diabetes and, where clinically appropriate, help eligible patients achieve remission through evidence-based lifestyle interventions.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the call comes following Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad's recent revelation that Type 2 diabetes is now being diagnosed among Malaysians as young as 14, highlighting the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and the need for more effective interventions. Dr. Siva stressed the importance of prevention as the cornerstone of public health while also recognizing that many Malaysians are already living with Type 2 diabetes. He stated that the healthcare system should be equipped not only to prevent the disease but also to manage it effectively and help suitable patients achieve remission through structured lifestyle medicine programs.
He explained that this would require systematic education and training for doctors, nurses, dietitians, and other allied healthcare professionals so they could confidently prescribe and support therapeutic lifestyle interventions alongside conventional medical treatment. Dr. Siva clarified that lifestyle medicine is not an alternative to conventional medicine but an integral component of standard clinical care that addresses the root causes of chronic diseases through sustainable behavior change based on scientific evidence.
Dr. Siva detailed that lifestyle medicine is founded on six evidence-based pillars: healthy nutrition, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of harmful substances, and positive social connections. These pillars collectively support metabolic health and help reduce the progression of chronic diseases. He noted that Malaysia had already demonstrated its potential in this field through the World Health Organisation (WHO)-Ministry of Health (MOH) Lifestyle Medicine for Remission of Diabetes pilot project, which produced encouraging outcomes within the public healthcare system.
The pilot project showed that structured lifestyle interventions delivered by trained healthcare professionals could result in positive behavior modification, leading to better management of Type 2 diabetes and remission in some individuals. Dr. Siva, who served as the Lifestyle Medicine expert consultant for the WHO-MOH project, highlighted that the initiative had also been featured on the WHO website, reflecting international recognition of Malaysia's efforts to integrate lifestyle medicine into diabetes care.
Malaysia has also contributed to Civil 20 (C20) discussions by advancing proposals on lifestyle medicine and diabetes remission for consideration by G20 leaders, reflecting growing international recognition of lifestyle medicine as an important component of chronic disease management. As Chair of the Advisory Board of the Lifestyle Medicine Global Alliance, Dr. Siva emphasized that investment in structured training for healthcare professionals would be critical to scaling up lifestyle medicine nationwide.
He asserted that empowering the healthcare workforce with the right knowledge and skills could allow Malaysia to move beyond a healthcare model focused primarily on treating chronic diseases towards one that also restores health, improves quality of life, and reduces the long-term burden of non-communicable diseases. Dr. Siva also announced that the 6th Malaysian Lifestyle Medicine Conference, themed 'Lifestyle Medicine: The Foundation of Longevity Medicine', will be held from Oct 24 to 26, 2026, at Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.