Blue Zones, an organization that studies regions around the world where people live longer, happier lives, has partnered with The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) to help train and certify health care professionals.
The “Blue Zones certification” for doctors and health care workers will add another layer to ACLM certification, which already confers lifestyle medicine training around six pillars: whole-food, plant-rich diet; exercise, sleep; stress management; social connection; and avoiding substance misuse. The new designation will require prior certification from the ACLM, the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM), or the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine (IBLM), according to the May 14 announcement.
The curriculum for the new certification is still under development but is slated to be available in 2025, according to Michelle Tollefson, MD, a lifestyle medicine doctor in Colorado and lead faculty for the Blue Zones training.
“The curriculum will build upon what our ACLM, ABLM, IBLM physicians, and health professionals already know and bring to their patients,” Tollefson said. “They already have that foundation, but then we added an additional layer of the Blue Zones research and that deep community focus, which will empower our lifestyle medicine physicians and health professionals to have more of a widespread impact in their communities beyond the clinical setting.”
Doctors and health professionals interested in lifestyle medicine certification can learn more on the ACLM website. Since 2017, the college has certified about 6,700 clinicians, including 5,000 doctors and 1,700 health professionals.
ACLM Executive Director Susan Benigas talks about the Blue Zones partnership:
