Group Urges Nigerians To Embrace Healthy Habits To Prevent Diseases

The Society of Lifestyle Medicine of Nigeria (SOLONg) has advised Nigerians to embrace healthy lifestyle habits to prevent the root causes of chronic and lifestyle-related diseases.

The President of SOLONg, Dr Moyosore Makinde, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in commemoration of the “Global Lifestyle Medicine Week” on Tuesday in Lagos.

The Global Lifestyle Medicine Week, taking place from May 18 to May 24, 2025, has the theme “Celebrating Healthy Habits: Inspire Change with D.R.E.A.M.S.”

Makinde, also an International Board-certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician, said the week was dedicated to raising awareness about the transformative power of lifestyle medicine in improving health outcomes and reducing the burden of chronic diseases worldwide.

According to her, lifestyle medicine empowers people to live healthier, happier and longer lives.

She explained that the D.R.E.A.M.S. acronym highlighted the six key pillars of lifestyle medicine that guide individuals toward healthier lives, namely: predominantly plant-based diets, positive Relationships or social connections, Exercise, Avoidance of toxic substances, mental wellness and stress management, and restorative Sleep.

She said that these pillars had been proven by scientific research to not only manage and prevent chronic diseases like coronary heart disease, diabetes, dementia and Alzheimer’s but also to promote a more sustainable and harmonious relationship with ourselves and with our planet. She added that it contributed to planetary health and the stability of our ecosystem.

“SOLONg is proud to announce its participation in Global Lifestyle Medicine Week, taking place from May 18 to May 24, 2025.

“Scientific studies, including numerous randomised clinical trials and longitudinal studies, have consistently shown the remarkable benefits of lifestyle interventions in reducing the incidence of chronic conditions.

“Additionally, these healthy habits play a pivotal role in strengthening resilience against infectious diseases. The ongoing impact of several pandemics has underscored the importance of adopting healthy behaviours, as poor lifestyle choices have been associated with worse disease severity and slower recovery times,” she said.

Contributing, the General Secretary of SOLONg, Dr Chika Anozie, said that Global Lifestyle Medicine Week aimed to foster a community of like-minded individuals and healthcare professionals committed to lifestyle medicine.

Anozie, also a family physician, said that SOLONg would organise various activities to mark the week, including webinars and educational workshops on lifestyle medicine topics. She added that there would be courtesy visits and community outreach programmes promoting healthy habits, as well as social media campaigns sharing lifestyle medicine tips and resources.

“As we observe Global Lifestyle Medicine Week, it is clear that the need for lifestyle medicine is greater than ever. This is a clarion call for the government to create policies that promote healthy lifestyle practices while restricting behaviours that contribute to disease.

“We urge medical institutions to prioritise the accreditation of lifestyle medicine programmes at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It is equally important that health professionals receive the proper training to effectively communicate these life-saving messages to the public.

“The Society encourages individuals to embrace the principles of healthy living, which are not only life-changing but also long-lasting,” she said.