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Doctors For Nutrition (DFN) was proud to be represented at the 3rd Global Lifestyle Medicine Leadership Forum held in Istanbul, Türkiye, from 9–14 February 2026, a landmark gathering of lifestyle medicine leaders from around the world.

CEO Rebecca Stonor attended on behalf of DFN, joining peers from regions including Argentina, Mexico, Germany, Singapore, the UK, the UAE, Indonesia and the USA for several days of strategic dialogue, shared learning and collaboration. Rebecca attended the forum as an invited guest, with all travel costs generously covered by the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine, reflecting IBLM’s commitment to supporting collaboration among leaders from diverse regions.

A global gathering for lifestyle medicine

Hosted by the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine (IBLM) and the Lifestyle Medicine Global Alliance (LMGA), the forum brought together leaders of national lifestyle medicine societies and related organisations to align on vision, strategy and practical implementation. IBLM is the global standard-setting body for lifestyle medicine certification, helping define competencies and credentialing for physicians and other health professionals worldwide.

LMGA unites national lifestyle medicine organisations to advance a shared vision of a world without non-communicable disease, strengthening collaboration, sharing best practices and amplifying the voice of lifestyle medicine on the global stage. Within this context, DFN’s participation ensured that the Australasian perspective on plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine was part of the global conversation about transforming healthcare systems.

Lifestyle medicine: meeting a global health crisis

Lifestyle medicine is an evidence-based medical discipline that uses nutrition, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances and positive social connection as foundational therapeutic tools for the prevention, treatment and even reversal of many chronic diseases. This approach directly targets the root causes of conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and many other non-communicable diseases, which now dominate global morbidity and mortality and drive escalating healthcare costs.

As organisations like IBLM and LMGA highlight, lifestyle medicine is a rapidly growing field that offers affordable, scalable and sustainable solutions to the global epidemic of non-communicable disease, with the potential to reverse much of the chronic disease burden and significantly reduce healthcare spending worldwide. DFN’s work in promoting whole food plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine across Australia and New Zealand is closely aligned with this global movement to reorient health systems towards prevention and true health care.

From leadership forum to international symposium

Following the leadership forum, participants travelled together to Biruni University for the 2nd International Symposium of the Turkish Society of Lifestyle Medicine on Friday, 13 February. The full-day symposium provided a platform for leaders in lifestyle medicine from around the world to share their experience in implementing lifestyle medicine in practice within clinics, health systems, and communities.

For DFN, this was an invaluable opportunity to hear real-world case studies, explore barriers and enablers to implementation in different health systems, and contribute insights from the organisation’s work in clinician education and plant-based nutrition advocacy. Participation in both the leadership forum and the Turkish Society of Lifestyle Medicine symposium further strengthens DFN’s ability to bring global best practice back to Australasia and to support health professionals in delivering lifestyle medicine in everyday practice.

Looking ahead for DFN

DFN extends sincere thanks to IBLM for organising this visit and to the Lifestyle Medicine Global Alliance and Turkish Society of Lifestyle Medicine for hosting a thoughtfully designed program that combined structured meetings, shared meals and rich cultural experiences in Istanbul. Insights gained from this week of global collaboration will inform DFN’s ongoing work to equip health professionals with the knowledge and skills to use lifestyle as medicine, advocate for systems change and help build a future where the burden of chronic disease is dramatically reduced. Together, we can achieve our mission of a world free from preventable disease.

Join the lifestyle medicine movement

Health professionals in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands who are interested in becoming certified in lifestyle medicine can do so through Doctors For Nutrition. Be at the forefront of this movement and enrol now to complete the prerequisites before the exam on 29th November 2026, in Sydney.