About Teen Lifestyle Medicine

Our Mission

We believe healthy habits start early — and teens have the power to lead the way. Our mission is to empower high school students to become advocates for lifelong health by making it easy to start and run lifestyle medicine clubs at their schools, organize community awareness events, and share their voices through blog posts and science-backed content.

Emerging research shows that chronic diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even Alzheimer's can begin developing years before symptoms appear. This makes the teen years a critical time for prevention and awareness.

Through peer-led initiatives, we use the power of teen influence to spread knowledge, encourage healthy change, and create positive influences in our communities. Together, we are helping the next generation take charge of their health.

What is Lifestyle Medicine

Lifestyle medicine aims to improve overall health and well-being by focusing on seven essential pillars: movement and exercise, healthful nutrition, restorative sleep, stress management, social engagement, gratitude and purpose, and cognitive enhancement. Teens often feel invincible, thinking about health mostly when faced with problems. However, lifestyle medicine takes a preventative approach, using research-backed strategies to not only address symptoms but also to tackle the root causes of illness before they surface. The goal is to help young people live longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives. Teen Lifestyle Medicine builds on the foundational principles of Stanford Lifestyle Medicine, making these ideas relevant and accessible for teenagers.

Teen-Led

Teen Lifestyle Medicine (TLM) is a national organization founded and led by teens, with guidance from doctors and educators at Stanford University and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. We promote the latest scientific research in order to establish science-based healthy habits. TLM's primary focus is to help fellow students who are passionate about lifestyle medicine deepen their leadership skills, utilize teamwork and collaboration, and bring knowledge and awareness to their broader communities by establishing and running lifestyle medicine clubs in their high schools. Our current TLM members have successfully led clubs and are eager to pass on their experiences to new TLM leaders making it an easy and straightforward process.

Science-Based

As a teen, it is easy to get confused by the health advice present — especially on social media where opinions vary greatly. That is why science-based information is critical in lifestyle medicine. It helps us distinguish the noise from facts about topics like nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress, social engagement, cognitive enhancement and gratitude, and how they affect our bodies and minds. When health information is backed by sound research, we can trust that it is legitimate.