Common Questions
Lifestyle medicine — frequently asked.
The questions most patients have before booking a consultation.
What is lifestyle medicine?
Lifestyle medicine is an evidence-based clinical discipline that addresses the root causes of chronic disease through systematic changes to nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress, substance use, and social connection. Unlike conventional medicine — which typically manages disease with medication — lifestyle medicine seeks to modify the conditions that produce disease in the first place, and to reverse or reduce medication dependency where appropriate. In the UK, the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine (BSLM) is the professional body that sets standards and provides training for credentialled practitioners.
What are the 6 pillars of lifestyle medicine?
The six pillars of lifestyle medicine are: (1) healthy eating — a whole food, predominantly plant-rich dietary pattern; (2) physical activity — regular structured and incidental movement; (3) sleep — restorative sleep quality and duration; (4) mental wellbeing — stress reduction, emotional health, and psychological safety; (5) healthy relationships — social connection and support; and (6) minimising harmful substances — reducing alcohol, tobacco, and unnecessary medication use. These are the framework used by the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine in UK practice.
How is lifestyle medicine different from functional medicine?
Lifestyle medicine is an evidence-based discipline practised by credentialled physicians and healthcare professionals, with a structured framework and professional oversight from bodies like the BSLM. It operates within the NHS and private clinical framework. Functional medicine is a less regulated term with variable standards and largely sits outside mainstream clinical practice. This practice is physician-led, GMC-registered, and BSLM-credentialled — there is a named doctor accountable for every clinical decision.
Is lifestyle medicine available on the NHS?
Some elements are — social prescribing, weight management programmes, exercise referral schemes. However, dedicated physician-led lifestyle medicine consultations, especially for medication review and deprescribing in light of lifestyle improvements, are not routinely available on the NHS due to time and resource constraints. Private consultations allow the depth and individual focus these reviews require.
Can lifestyle medicine replace medication?
In some cases, yes — and this is one of the most clinically significant things lifestyle medicine offers. Where metabolic markers improve substantially through diet, exercise, and sleep, there may be a clinical case for safely reducing or stopping medication. This is not appropriate for all patients or all conditions. A structured deprescribing review assesses the evidence base for each medication, the original indication, current risk profile, and whether a safe taper is clinically defensible. This is never an abrupt decision and always individual.
What conditions does lifestyle medicine treat?
The strongest evidence base is in: type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance, hypertension, obesity and metabolic syndrome, elevated cardiovascular risk and high cholesterol, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, depression and anxiety, polycystic ovarian syndrome, gastrointestinal conditions including reflux, and polypharmacy. These are also the conditions where deprescribing is most likely to be clinically appropriate following sustained lifestyle improvement.
How much does a lifestyle medicine consultation cost?
Consultations start from £395 for a 60-minute review. The GLP-1 Exit Strategy Review is £495. The Independent Medication Review — a comprehensive two-appointment process with a written report — is £1,200. Follow-up appointments start from £125. Video consultations are available for patients across the UK. See the
full fees page →
Do you prescribe medication?
Where clinically appropriate, prescriptions can be arranged via SignatureRx and delivered to your home address. This practice is not a prescription shortcut. It is a clinical review that arrives at the most defensible next step — which may be continuing medication, adjusting it, or beginning a structured taper.
