The American College of Lifestyle Medicine Applauds AMA Passage of Resolution 406 to Provide Healthy Foods for Hospital Patients, Staff and Visitors
St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) June 22, 2017 -- The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) has announced its support of the American Medical Association’s adoption of a resolution last week calling on U.S. hospitals to improve the health of patients, staff and visitors by: providing a variety of healthful food, including and promoting plant-based meals, and meals that are low in fat, sodium and added sugars for hospital patients, staff and visitors; eliminating the use of processed meats from patient menus; and providing and promoting healthful beverages.
Testimony in support of Resolution 406 Healthful Hospital Foods noted the importance of hospitals serving as models of wellness in the nourishment that they provide to all.
ACLM Board Member James F. Loomis, MD, MBA, Medical Director of Barnard Medical Center in Washington, D.C., who testified before the AMA Reference Committee endorsing adoption of the resolution, said, "It still shocks me to see patients fed bacon, eggs and sugary drinks in the CCU after a heart attack or on the surgical floor after surgery for colorectal cancer, despite clear evidence that these foods directly contribute to the underlying diseases.“
“Fifty years ago, you would have seen doctors, patients and staff all smoking in a hospital, despite clear evidence that smoking posed a serious health risk,” Loomis continued. “In 1972 the AMA declared war on smoking, and now we look back and think about how crazy it was that smoking was allowed in hospitals. My hope is that the AMA's passage of this important resolution will provide the impetus for change so that we can all look back and say, ‘Can you what believe we used to feed our patients in the hospital?’”
ACLM member Scott Kashman, Chief Acute Care Officer of Lee Health in Fort Myers, Fla., said, “As chief acute care officer for Lee Health, and as a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, I believe it is important that hospitals and health care professionals serve as role models for good health. With the recent adoption of Resolution 406 by the American Medical Association, hospitals across the country will take this role more seriously by providing and promoting plant-based meals that are low in fat, sodium and added sugars. Nutrition is the bedrock of a healthy lifestyle and should be a priority for everyone—hospital patients, staff and visitors.”
The American College of Lifestyle Medicine promotes a lifestyle medicine-first approach to healthcare, wherein lifestyle is used as a therapeutic intervention to prevent, treat and even reverse disease. The group believes optimal dietary lifestyle--a predominantly whole food plant-based diet—is the foundation of health.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE: ACLM is the professional medical association for those dedicated to the advancement and clinical practice of Lifestyle Medicine as the foundation of a transformed and sustainable healthcare system. More than a professional association, ACLM is a galvanizing force for change. ACLM addresses the need for quality education and certification, supporting its members in their individual practices and in their collective desire to domestically and globally promote Lifestyle Medicine as the first treatment option, as opposed to a first option of treating symptoms and consequences with expensive, ever increasing quantities of pills and procedures. ACLM members are united in their desire to identify and eradicate the cause of disease. Join today at https://www.lifestylemedicine.org/.
Jean Tips, American College of Lifestyle Medicine, +1 214-240-1872, [email protected]
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