International Nutritank Teams

“Inspire future doctors to use lifestyle medicine in daily practice, so patients can regain leadership of their health and body. That is the mission of the Student and Nutrition Foundation, an initiative of Dutch medical students. They started two years ago to improve the knowledge and skills of medicals students on food, lifestyle and productivity management with the aim to implement these subjects in their study programme. These days all eight medical faculties in the Netherlands are involved to make a transition in the current medical system. The young generation of doctors is ready to have deep impact at a level of their own lives, the lives of others and public health.

Society cries out: who provides sufficient knowledge on food, lifestyle and productivity management? How can I take responsibility of my own body? Are there alternatives for all the pills flying of the shelf? Are there opportunities to get rid of my medication? Can I be free of the medical diagnosis I got in the past? Where can I find physicians who can provide me with solid information? Who offers me some direction in the wilderness, called social media? The amount of lifestyle coaches, food bloggers and personal trainers is increased rapidly in the last five years. The alternatives for medical practice and science-based advices are very popular. What is the prize the medical profession pays for all these people searching for a real solution to their problems? What is our answer to the growing population of chronic ill patients?”

The club was officially established in December 2016. In the first year of its activity, the club undertook a number of initiatives promoting, mostly among medical students, healthy lifestyle as a crucial element of prevention and effective treatment for non-communicable diseases. At the beginning, Club focused mostly on the importance of nutrition. In May, it co-organized (supporting the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations IFMSA-Poland LC Warsaw) the second edition of Food Medicine Conference with Evidence-Based student-led Lifestyle Medicine Report Session. It also led a campaign ‘Plant-Based MUW’ promoting whole-food, plant-based diet providing not only scientific background but also practical tools for its implementation.

Besides regular meetings with experts, lectures and seminars, club works on implementing culinary medicine workshops, occasionally leading ones: for students or for local community. Among other initiatives, club has been actively involved in University-led campaign against tobacco smoking.

Currently the club is working on the 1st National Lifestyle Medicine Congress taking place in April 2018. Participants – students and healthcare professionals will have an opportunity to take part in a series of lectures led by experts in different fields of lifestyle medicine, practice their skills during workshops and become involved in interdisciplinary discussion on the future of lifestyle medicine.

From the beginning of its existence, club has cooperated with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine Education Collaborative. In September 2017, American College of Lifestyle Medicine granted club’s president with a prestigious Donald A. Pegg Student’s Leadership Award while Medical University of Warsaw has been listed among Champions of Change chosen by Lifestyle Medicine Education Collaborative.

All the information about club’s activity as well as informative posts and articles on lifestyle medicine can be found on club’s facebook profile: SKN Medycyny Stylu Życia WUM.

President of the Club: Alicja Baska
[email protected]