Lifestyle Medicine and the Role of the Pediatrician.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are now the leading causes of human deaths worldwide. The current paradigm of ills, pills, drills and bills does not lend well to optimal management of NCDs. Indeed, what is required is an updated skills set, with the practitioner serving as a coach to the patient. The root cause of NCDs lies in dysregulated lifestyle behaviors and habits. Lifestyle medicine is the fastest growing medical specialty in the house of medicine. It aims to systematically implement the evidence-based science of healthy lifestyle habits. The six pillars of Lifestyle medicine are healthy, wholesome nutrition, regular physical activity, avoiding use of risky substances like tobacco, restorative sleep, stress management and resiliency, and fostering positive social relations ("forks, feet, fingers, sleep, stress, love"). This perspective article describes the competencies pediatricians can harness to apply Lifestyle medicine in their daily clinical practice.