Throughout human history, we’ve relied on what’s naturally available to promote health and healing. Long before modern medicine, people intuitively understood the power of a healthy lifestyle in preventing illness and supporting recovery.

By the early 20th century, groundbreaking advances in biochemistry, pharmacology and virology ushered in a new era. With this came an increasing emphasis on treating illness with medications and procedures. While this approach has saved countless lives, it has also diminished the role of a healthy lifestyle in supporting long-term wellbeing.

In the last decade, there has been renewed interest in lifestyle medicine, not just among patients but also among medical professionals and benefits leaders.¹ As rates of chronic disease, burnout and health-related absenteeism continue to climb, there’s growing recognition that a healthy lifestyle isn’t just a nice thing to have—it’s foundational to better outcomes.

The challenge now is integration: how do we bring evidence-based lifestyle interventions into healthcare delivery and benefits design in a meaningful, measurable way? Medical insurance carriers are also eager to know where and how to invest in lower-cost, effective lifestyle treatments.

For employers, three core pillars of lifestyle medicine stand out as high-impact areas: Food as Medicine, Movement as Medicine and Friends as Medicine.

Each of these domains is backed by emerging science that validates what humans have known for generations: what we eat, how we move and the relationships we nurture are powerful determinants of health. Innovative vendors are entering the market to provide structured support— from nutrition coaching and medically tailored meals to prescription-based fitness programs and interventions to combat loneliness and isolation.

For HR and benefits leaders, the opportunity is twofold: first, to explore which lifestyle-focused offerings align with their population’s needs and goals; second, to determine how these offerings can be measured, integrated and scaled alongside their existing benefits programs. To help unpack this opportunity, the Brown & Brown Population Health & Well-Being team is dedicating this year’s three-part Summer Series to lifestyle medicine. Across three engaging webinar sessions, we’ll explore the science and solutions behind food, movement and friends as medicine—featuring guest thought leaders, case studies and practical implementation tips for employers of all sizes.

We hope you’ll join us for the conversation and help lead the movement toward whole-person health in the workplace.

1 “Why lifestyle medicine is growing so fast and the benefits of a lifestyle medicine certification”, ama.org., January 17, 2025

Kelly Polinski, MPH, CPH, CWPM

Senior Director, Population Health & Well-Being