Foundations of Pediatric Lifestyle Medicine

<b>Background:</b> Lifestyle medicine utilizes therapeutic interventions to prevent, treat, and reverse chronic diseases by promoting healthy habits. While extensively studied in adults, its application in pediatrics remains underexplored. Given that many chronic diseases originate in ea...

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Main Author: Marina Gaínza-Lein
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Children
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/3/304
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author Marina Gaínza-Lein
author_facet Marina Gaínza-Lein
author_sort Marina Gaínza-Lein
collection DOAJ
description <b>Background:</b> Lifestyle medicine utilizes therapeutic interventions to prevent, treat, and reverse chronic diseases by promoting healthy habits. While extensively studied in adults, its application in pediatrics remains underexplored. Given that many chronic diseases originate in early life, establishing the foundations of Pediatric Lifestyle Medicine is essential. <b>Methods</b>: This paper presents a comprehensive literature review and clinical insights to assess the evidence supporting Pediatric Lifestyle Medicine and provide age-appropriate, evidence-based guidelines for children and adolescents. <b>Results</b>: Pediatric Lifestyle Medicine is an evidence-based healthcare discipline focused on promoting and maintaining children’s health by encouraging healthy habits from an early age. This approach prevents chronic diseases, supports physical and emotional well-being, and fosters long-term quality of life. Findings show that applying its principles in childhood can prevent obesity, improve mental health, and aid in disease management, while also reducing the risk of adult-onset conditions and benefiting planetary health. Pediatric Lifestyle Medicine is based on six pillars: preventive nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, positive social connections, and risk prevention, the last of which includes toxin avoidance and other childhood-specific risks, such as accident prevention and screen overuse. <b>Conclusions</b>: Pediatric Lifestyle Medicine provides a cost-effective, evidence-based framework for improving childhood health and preventing chronic conditions. Integrating these principles into pediatric care can foster lifelong health benefits, emphasizing the need for further research and implementation in medical education.
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spelling doaj-art-270dcbea51c6453e8adaecd49ccef8002025-08-20T02:42:40ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672025-02-0112330410.3390/children12030304Foundations of Pediatric Lifestyle MedicineMarina Gaínza-Lein0Instituto de Pediatría, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Austral de Chile, Independencia 631, Valdivia 5110566, Chile<b>Background:</b> Lifestyle medicine utilizes therapeutic interventions to prevent, treat, and reverse chronic diseases by promoting healthy habits. While extensively studied in adults, its application in pediatrics remains underexplored. Given that many chronic diseases originate in early life, establishing the foundations of Pediatric Lifestyle Medicine is essential. <b>Methods</b>: This paper presents a comprehensive literature review and clinical insights to assess the evidence supporting Pediatric Lifestyle Medicine and provide age-appropriate, evidence-based guidelines for children and adolescents. <b>Results</b>: Pediatric Lifestyle Medicine is an evidence-based healthcare discipline focused on promoting and maintaining children’s health by encouraging healthy habits from an early age. This approach prevents chronic diseases, supports physical and emotional well-being, and fosters long-term quality of life. Findings show that applying its principles in childhood can prevent obesity, improve mental health, and aid in disease management, while also reducing the risk of adult-onset conditions and benefiting planetary health. Pediatric Lifestyle Medicine is based on six pillars: preventive nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, positive social connections, and risk prevention, the last of which includes toxin avoidance and other childhood-specific risks, such as accident prevention and screen overuse. <b>Conclusions</b>: Pediatric Lifestyle Medicine provides a cost-effective, evidence-based framework for improving childhood health and preventing chronic conditions. Integrating these principles into pediatric care can foster lifelong health benefits, emphasizing the need for further research and implementation in medical education.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/3/304pediatricslifestyle medicinepediatric lifestylemedicine familymedicine children
spellingShingle Marina Gaínza-Lein
Foundations of Pediatric Lifestyle Medicine
Children
pediatrics
lifestyle medicine
pediatric lifestyle
medicine family
medicine children
title Foundations of Pediatric Lifestyle Medicine
title_full Foundations of Pediatric Lifestyle Medicine
title_fullStr Foundations of Pediatric Lifestyle Medicine
title_full_unstemmed Foundations of Pediatric Lifestyle Medicine
title_short Foundations of Pediatric Lifestyle Medicine
title_sort foundations of pediatric lifestyle medicine
topic pediatrics
lifestyle medicine
pediatric lifestyle
medicine family
medicine children
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/3/304
work_keys_str_mv AT marinagainzalein foundationsofpediatriclifestylemedicine