Events

Doctors For Nutrition’s Six Pillars webinar will explore the role of fibre from whole plant foods in bowel cancer prevention.

Bowel cancer is Australia's fourth most common and second deadliest cancer, while New Zealand has one of the highest bowel cancer rates in the world, where it is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death. Worryingly, early-onset bowel cancer has risen by around 266% since the 1980s, with people under 50 now accounting for about 1 in 10 cases. It is also the leading cause of cancer death among Australians aged 25–54 and New Zealanders under 50.

Diet significantly influences bowel cancer risk. High intake of processed/red meat, fast food, and refined carbohydrates increases risk, particularly for early-onset colorectal cancer. Conversely, fibre-rich whole plant foods reduce colorectal cancer risk by up to 40%.

Nutrition remains under-taught in medical education. Barriers to nutrition counselling in general practice include lack of time, confidence, and knowledge. GPs require enhanced education on nutrition's role in bowel cancer prevention and practical strategies for time-limited consultations.

Our next FREE live webinar will provide GPs with vital information on how an eating pattern focused on whole plant foods and other lifestyle interventions can reduce their patients' risk of developing bowel cancer.

Following the presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to have their questions answered live.

Spaces are limited. Register today to secure your space.

Speakers

Dr Andrew Reynolds
Andrew Reynolds is a Research Associate Professor at Otago University, New Zealand. He is interested in lifestyle risk factors such as what we eat and when we move, and health outcomes such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. He works with both randomised controlled trials in non-communicable disease management and meta-analyses in non-communicable disease prevention and management.

Dr Peter Johnston
Peter Johnston is an Accredited Practising Dietitian with a Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics and a PhD in Human Genetics. Peter is also a fellow of the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine and has completed health coaching training with WellStart Health. He has been exclusively plant-based since 1991 after learning of the health, environmental and ethical benefits. Peter runs a private practice: Perfect Human Food Consulting, offering individual consultations, public speaking, webinars, workplace health programs, and residential reboot programs. He has expertise in the prevention, treatment and reversal of chronic diseases through the use of whole food plant-based diets and the holistic approach of lifestyle medicine. He enjoys empowering people across all life stages to attain optimal health. Peter has enjoyed attending and speaking at numerous national and international conferences. He has a special interest in the links between food and environment and has also run university lectures in this area.

The Doctors For Nutrition Lifestyle Medicine Conference 2026 (DFN LM26) brings a truly unique learning opportunity to Sydney.  

This event is Australasia’s only lifestyle medicine conference focused on whole-food, plant-based nutrition. Our conference has been designed as a unique platform to explore evidence-based lifestyle strategies transforming health outcomes. 

The program features the latest advancements alongside time-honoured research on the six pillars of lifestyle medicine. These pillars collectively form a powerful framework for preventing and managing chronic diseases, addressing some of the most pressing healthcare challenges of our time.