Ten Years of Shaping the Future of Lifestyle Medicine: Experience, Growth and Leadership

In 2026, we mark the tenth anniversary of the Master’s degree programme in Lifestyle Medicine established at the Faculty of Public Health of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU). This is a significant milestone, offering an opportunity not only to reflect on the journey undertaken, but also to assess the achievements to date. We take pride in the University’s position as one of the European leaders in lifestyle medicine education.

Origins and Development

The idea of creating an entirely new study programme and professional field in Lithuania emerged following visits by international experts in the field, initiated by Lithuanian-born US resident Petras Vainius. During these visits, representatives of the LSMU Faculty of Public Health were introduced to the principles of lifestyle medicine and observed first-hand its benefits for human health.

Initially, the proposal was limited to continuing professional development courses for physicians. However, with the indicators of chronic diseases in Lithuania worsening, a more ambitious course was chosen: to establish a full Master’s degree programme and to seek formal recognition of a new professional specialisation within the national health system. LSMU, already distinguished by strong academic and intellectual capacity, was selected to lead this initiative.

From the outset, the process involved overcoming a number of challenges: introducing a new concept to the University’s administration and academic community, assembling a motivated team, and demonstrating the importance of the specialisation at national level. Efforts were made to substantiate the theoretical, practical, organisational, and economic benefits of lifestyle medicine for the healthcare system as a whole, with the particular focus on the prevention and management of chronic diseases through modification of lifestyle risk factors.

Discussions on establishing the programme began in 2014. The initiative was led by representatives of several departments within the Faculty of Public Health: Professor L. Šumskas of the Department of Preventive Medicine; representatives of the Department of Health Management, including the Dean of the Faculty, Professor R. Kalėdienė; and representatives of the Department of Health Psychology, Professor A. Veryga, Professor N. Žemaitienė and Lecturer T. Vaičiūnas. The LSMU Senate approved the development of the programme on 21 November 2014.

During the first year of development, close collaboration took place with lifestyle medicine specialists from the United States. Study visits to the United States provided insights into existing programmes and their practical implementation. This helped shape the understanding the importance of close integration of modern preventive medicine with lifestyle medicine and contributed to the development of an evidence-based field of disease prevention.

The programme was primarily developed through the joint efforts of the Departments of Health Psychology, Preventive Medicine, and Health Management, with contributions from the Department of Family Medicine, the Institute of Behavioural Medicine, the Institute of Sports, the Department of Food Safety and Quality, as well as other University units and partners.

In late 2014, a working group of 15 experts was established to prepare the programme description and design its content. Intensive consultations were held with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania and international experts in lifestyle medicine. Among the most prominent contributors was Dr Hans Diehl of Loma Linda University, a pioneer of lifestyle medicine and founder of the CHIP (Complete Health Improvement Program). His experience and achievements served as a significant source of inspiration.

The programme content was developed in collaboration with an international network of experts, including Dr David Katz, Dr Neal Barnard, Susan Benigas, Professor T. Colin Campbell, Professor Walter Willett, and Dr Caldwell B. Esselstyn. Consultations also involved representatives from Harvard, Cornell, New York, and Loma Linda universities.

On 22 January 2016, the Master’s programme in Lifestyle Medicine was approved by the LSMU Senate, and on 4 April 2016 it received approval from the Ministry of Health. The first cohort of students commenced their studies in autumn of the same year. This became the first Master’s degree programme in lifestyle medicine established in Europe. It was also the first programme at the Faculty of Public Health to be delivered over three semesters using a blended learning model combining face-to-face and distance learning. The programme’s distinctiveness lay in training, for the first time in Lithuania and Europe, specialists capable of improving patients’ health through lifestyle modification.

In 2019, the Ministry of Health officially included the lifestyle medicine specialist as a member of the family physician’s team.

The Present

The programme has since evolved into a unique and pioneering European initiative and has testified to the Faculty’s capacity to lead in training specialists in this field. Initially open to graduates of biomedical sciences, it now admits graduates of health sciences, including pharmacists, physicians, midwives, public health specialists, and others.

Since 2024, the programme has been restructured into a two-year, 120-credit degree. Practical training has been expanded, the curriculum deepened, and additional subjects integrated to strengthen professional competencies. The programme covers key areas of lifestyle medicine – nutrition, physical activity, psycho-emotional health, sleep, and harmful habits – as well as broader public health domains such as health policy, social environment, leadership, and epidemiology. Students develop the ability to assess lifestyle-related risk factors for chronic diseases and to apply interventions for health promotion, disease prevention, and the management of chronic conditions.

From its inception to the present day, the programme has attracted strong interest from applicants. Active dissemination through a wide range of events – from visits by world-leading lifestyle medicine experts to international conferences and events for members of parliament – has helped to raise awareness of the field’s potential and tangible impact on health. As a result, the programme quickly became one of the most popular Master’s pathways, emerging at a time of growing societal interest in prevention and treatment through lifestyle change.

Initially, the programme was coordinated by a joint programme committee established on 10 November 2016 and headed by Professor N. Žemaitienė. Since 2019, coordination has been undertaken by the Department of Preventive Medicine.

Since 2015, the Faculty of Public Health has organised annual international lifestyle medicine conferences, bringing together leading experts from around the world. On 21 October 2026, the 10th International Lifestyle Medicine Conference will take place. The Lithuanian Association of Lifestyle Medicine, whose members include programme graduates, has also contributed to the organisation of these events.

Over the past decade, conferences have featured presentations by leading experts in lifestyle medicine, nutrition and public health from the United States, Finland, Canada, Italy and other countries, including Brenda Davis, Dean Ornish, Dexter Shurney, Pekka Puska, Scott Stoll, Walter Willett, Aki T. Pirskanen, Regan A. Stiegmann, James F. Loomis, John Kelly, and Hans Diehl.

Awards and Achievements

The innovative nature of the programme has brought LSMU wide recognition within the global lifestyle medicine community, positioning Lithuania as a notable example of progress in the development and integration of lifestyle medicine education within healthcare systems. LSMU delegations have actively participated in global lifestyle medicine congresses, where the University has been presented as one of the most successful examples of implementing evidence-based lifestyle medicine.

In 2019, at a conference in Orlando, the American College of Lifestyle Medicine awarded the University its “Award of Excellence” in recognition of LSMU’s global leadership in advancing lifestyle medicine education and practice.

Over the past ten years, 143 graduates have completed the programme. It has proven highly popular: 48 students enrolled in 2024 and 36 in 2025. Graduates are successfully employed as lifestyle medicine specialists in Kaunas, Kėdainiai, Panevėžys, Vilnius, Rokiškis, Šiauliai, Klaipėda and other regions of Lithuania. Strong ties with alumni are maintained, with graduates collaborating closely with their Alma Mater, sharing their experience with current students, and contributing to the education of a new generation of specialists.