GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — What if the secret to weight loss isn't in a pill, but in your daily routine? That's the question Corewell Health's Lifestyle Medicine program is helping one man answer.
Robert Gordon Hull Dykstra, a recipient of Corewell Health's Lifestyle Medicine program, was once heading down a "scary" path, taking four to five prescription medications and struggling with his weight.
"I was heading down a path that was scary to me, and I knew I needed a change," Dykstra said.
After his wife urged him to seek help, Dykstra enrolled in Corewell Health's Lifestyle Medicine program, which the healthcare system says is the first specialty lifestyle medicine practice built within a large healthcare system in the nation.
"My wife took my plea to heart, writing out several options for me to choose from," Dykstra said.
"Going through Corewell lifestyle medicine opened my eyes to a whole different world of, 'Okay, so actually, food is medicine, and it actually has a huge benefit than just, you know, working out and try and eat better,'" Dykstra said.
Corewell Health's Lifestyle Medicine Physician, Carolyn Vollmer, explained that the program develops "the right prescription of lifestyle changes and behaviors and recommendations individualized to each patient."
"There's so many things that can be changed by your lifestyle, because most of our top medical conditions that we experience, you know, heart disease, cancers, cardiovascular lung cancer risk. All of these top medical conditions, diabetes, obesity, are all lifestyle related," Vollmer said.
Vollmer also noted that insurance generally covers the Lifestyle Medicine program, making it accessible to most patients. Additionally, Corewell Health holds cooking classes to help participants learn healthy meal preparation.
As part of his treatment, Dykstra was prescribed a fasting diet, which he has now done 8-9 times. Dykstra's wife and mother have been major support systems, helping to push him to stay healthy.
The results have been remarkable - Dykstra has lost more than 50 pounds, going from 250 pounds to 196 pounds, and has reduced or eliminated several of his medications.
"I've since then, have reduced all my medications to the absolute lowest dose possible. I've actually gotten off some of my medication, two of the four or five that I've gotten off of, and my goal is to be off of them, you know, by the end of this year or next year. Completely, completely off," Dykstra said.
Dykstra looks forward to a higher quality of life for himself and his family, thanks to Corewell Health's Lifestyle Medicine program and the support of his loved ones.
https://corewellhealth.org/care-and-specialties/lifestyle-medicine
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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