The ELIA Lifestyle Medicine Centre in Australia has announced a new partnership with ACA Health Benefits Fund as part of a government-approved pilot study focused on the treatment and prevention of diabetes.

With 1.45 million Australians living with diabetes in 2023--a figure that has surged by 220 percent since the year 2000--the urgency for innovative treatment approaches has never been greater, according to Dr. Andrea Matthews, medical director of the ELIA Lifestyle Medicine Centre (ELIA LMC).

“We are very excited to be partnering with ACA Health Benefits Fund in this new pilot study on the treatment and prevention of diabetes,” she said. “This pilot has been approved by the health department, and we have been blessed to have the support of ACA Health and Australian Health Service Alliance in the process.”

Traditionally considered a chronic, irreversible illness requiring ongoing medication, type 2 diabetes is now being redefined by leading organizations such as Diabetes Australia, Diabetes UK, and the American Diabetes Association, which acknowledge that remission is possible. The American College of Lifestyle Medicine further advocates that remission should be the ultimate treatment goal where achievable.

As an Adventist Health initiative, ELIA LMC will be able to accept study participants who are ACA Health Benefits Fund members based in Sydney and surrounding areas, and who have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Eligible participants will engage in the ELIA 12-week Diabetes Clinical Program, designed to provide a wholistic, evidence-based approach to diabetes management.

The program includes:

• Personalised care from medical doctors and registered nurses certified in lifestyle medicine.

• Individual consultations, group exercise classes and nutrition workshops conducted by dietitians and an exercise physiologist.

• Health coaching sessions to provide motivation and track progress.

Dr. Geraldine Przybylko, SPD Health strategy leader and executive director of ELIA Wellness, highlighted the program’s key benefits.

“The ELIA 12-week Diabetes Clinical Program takes a wholistic approach to diabetes treatment, utilising an interdisciplinary team of health professionals who provide consistent advice in a supportive environment for making healthy lifestyle choices,” she said. “Our team also coordinates all appointments across the 12 weeks to make participation as simple as possible.”

ACA Health Executive Director Jody Burgoyne said ACA Health Benefits Fund is proud to partner with ELIA LMC in this initiative.

“By working together, we can offer members greater support, education and resources to manage their health more effectively,” she said.

The original article was published on the South Pacific Division news site, Adventist Record.