Our Articles

A look back at Doctors For Nutrition’s milestones—spotlighting the landmark Nutrition & Lifestyle Medicine Symposium, new professional courses, international collaborations, and growing momentum in lifestyle medicine education.

Symposium: Highlight event of 2025

The 2025 Nutrition & Lifestyle Medicine Symposium, delivered over two days in Adelaide, was a one-of-a-kind event designed to advance clinical understanding and implementation of lifestyle medicine in practice. Bringing together leading researchers, healthcare professionals, and advocates, the Symposium delved deeply into the latest science on the six pillars of lifestyle medicine. Experts presented actionable strategies to integrate these pillars into healthcare and connected with a dynamic community committed to reducing chronic disease. The event set a powerful agenda for the future of clinical nutrition interventions.​

Enjoy a brief recap of the Symposium and learn how you can access the complete recordings for yourself.

The evolution of our team in 2025

2025 was a year of dynamic growth and meaningful transition for the Doctors For Nutrition team. We farewelled our talented Projects Lead, Louisa Chamberlain, as she embarked on the next chapter of her journey, focusing on her health coaching business. At the same time, we were delighted to welcome Amy Leahy as our new Education Lead. A registered nutritionist with a Master of Public Health and experience at Mastering Diabetes, Amy has contributed valuable expertise to the design and delivery of innovative new courses. We also welcomed Dr Elena Schaller, a values-driven science communicator, into the critically important role of Fundraising Officer – strengthening our capacity to expand our impact. Our Marketing & Communications Lead, Karyn Ogier, stepped into the additional role of Projects Lead, overseeing the development and launch of two exciting new initiatives (more on this below). This year also saw the expansion of our Advisory Council, enabling us to draw on an even broader range of experience, knowledge, and credibility as we continue to set the standard in nutrition advocacy and education.

New courses designed to drive better health outcomes

In 2025, DFN proudly launched two new first-of-their-kind professional e-learning courses: Tackling Heart Disease and Culinary Medicine. Designed for clinicians, allied health professionals and health-engaged community members, these courses deliver comprehensive, practical training in preventing and reversing cardiovascular disease, alongside essential culinary skills to support lifestyle-focused prescriptions. Together, they address a core gap in healthcare education and everyday practice across Australia and New Zealand.​

We offer free previews of both courses that you can try before you buy. Check them out today by visiting the Tackling Heart Disease and Culinary Medicine pages on our website.

Building healthier futures through our projects

Helping people understand their diet and its impact

In June, we released the 4Leaf Survey, an innovative online dietary assessment tool designed to help individuals understand their eating habits and make meaningful, evidence-based changes. The survey provides users with a personalised snapshot of their diet quality across key areas, highlighting strengths and opportunities for improvement. It also estimates the carbon footprint of their diet, helping users understand the environmental impact of their food choices. By translating complex nutrition and sustainability science into clear, actionable insights, the 4Leaf Survey empowers both the general community and healthcare professionals to take practical steps toward healthier, plant-forward eating patterns while considering their environmental impact. This tool supports DFN’s broader mission to promote nutrition literacy, sustainable lifestyle changes, and climate-conscious food choices.

Fruit & Vegetable Prescription pilot program

In November, DFN launched a Fruit & Vegetable Prescription pilot program in Aotearoa, New Zealand, strengthening its commitment to supporting communities through practical, food-based solutions. Delivered in collaboration with local healthcare and community partners, the pilot provided participants with regular boxes of fresh produce and simple, supportive guidance to help make healthier eating more achievable. By addressing both nutritional knowledge and food accessibility, this pilot represents a significant step toward reducing chronic disease risk and demonstrating the power of food as medicine in real-world settings. While impact outcomes are still being evaluated, early feedback highlights the value of improving access to nutritious food for those who need it most. With continued funding, DFN hopes to expand this initiative into a full community-based education program, reaching more people and fostering long-term, community-led improvements in health and wellbeing.

National events and thought leadership

DFN amplified its message through attendance and presentation at key conventions: the GPCME South in New Zealand and AMSA National Convention in Sydney. Our team led high-impact sessions on plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine, engaging hundreds of medical professionals and medical students in evidence-based strategies for practice and patient empowerment.​

Media presence and community impact

Vegetarian Living Magazine NZ, featured key articles by DFN, extending our reach and credibility across Australasia. Our board director, Luke Wilson, wrote on behalf of DFN in a HuffPost article dispelling myths around our obsession with protein. I also had numerous interviews with radio stations around Australia promoting our resources and events.

Our popular Food Vitals webinar series continued, with new sessions that critically examined nutrition’s role in heart disease and cancer prevention. The Dine With a Doc events in New Zealand and in Melbourne brought together like-minded communities to foster dialogue and support for plant-based approaches in public health and clinical practice.​

Growing our global reach

2025 was a year for exceptional growth for DFN, expanding our community across international borders. Our social media presence surged, engaging a wider audience of healthcare professionals, students, and the public with high-quality science-backed education on plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine. Website visits reached new heights as users increasingly accessed free resources, courses, professional position statements, and webinar archives. These tools empowered thousands to enhance their nutrition knowledge and make informed health decisions. This global digital engagement reflects our mission to democratise access to trustworthy, actionable information in preventive health and whole food plant-based care.

During this time, our digital presence continues to thrive:

• 64,052 active website users explored our resources, with 4Leaf Survey, new courses, and recipe collection leading in popularity – an increase of more than 20,00 visitors on last year!
• 8,532 newsletter subscribers, each month growing steadily.
• 22,818 social media followers, with 130 joining monthly to stay connected.

Collaborative projects through partnerships

Another highlight of the year was our partnership with the Educated Choices Program to co-create and release two educational videos: Heart Smart and Unlocking Diabetes. These resources deliver practical, current, and science-backed content for clinicians and the public, supporting dietary empowerment and literacy in chronic disease prevention.

Our strong relationship with the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine has flourished, with growing interest in certification locally in Australia and New Zealand, as lifestyle medicine gains traction globally.​

Looking forward

Doctors For Nutrition continues to advocate for whole food plant-based nutrition across healthcare sectors and upholds rigorous standards in lifestyle medicine training and policy. Demand for evidence-based certification and the enhanced integration of nutrition education in medical and allied health curricula are on the rise, thanks to dynamic partnerships and a committed professional community.​

2025 has set new benchmarks for impact. We thank our community, collaborators, and supporters for propelling our shared vision: a world free from preventable disease where everyone can thrive and live to their full potential.