“What I Learned at 60”: Dr. Emad George on the Power of Small Changes

Introduction

At 59, Dr. Emad George was facing the same health problems he’d long treated in others. He was stressed, overweight and inactive, until a conversation with his wife forced him to take stock. Within a year, he had overhauled his lifestyle, transformed his health and sat for the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine exam – his first in over three decades. 

His personal reset mirrors a global emergency. Non-communicable diseases (NCD), including diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease and chronic respiratory conditions, are responsible for nearly three-quarters of all deaths worldwide. Every two seconds, someone under the age of 70 dies from one1. Beyond the human cost, these conditions erode economies, strain health systems and cut lives short. Yet the reality is this: many NCDs can be prevented or reversed by changing daily habits. That is the promise of lifestyle medicine. 

We sat down with Dr. Emad George, Consultant Endocrinologist and Certified Lifestyle Medicine Practitioner, with decades of experience across the UK’s NHS and Abu Dhabi’s Imperial College London Diabetes & Endocrine Centre, to hear what he has learned since turning 60, and why small changes matter most. 

Q&A's

Q: What exactly is lifestyle medicine, and what sets it apart from traditional models of care?
Dr. George: Lifestyle medicine is an evidence-based approach that uses daily habits as a first-line treatment for chronic disease. It’s built around six core pillars: exercise, healthy nutrition, quality sleep, stress reduction, avoiding harmful substances such as smoking, and ultra-processed foods, and fostering meaningful social connection. It doesn’t replace medication or surgery, it simply puts behavioral change at the center of care. 

Q: What motivated you to formally pursue certification in lifestyle medicine later in your career?
Dr. George: At 59, I started reflecting on my own health. I was stressed, overweight and not exercising enough. A loving conversation with my wife was the wake-up call I needed. I made some personal changes that radically transformed my health and led me to wanting to help others make the same meaningful changes. I eventually decided to sit for the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine exam at age 60. It was a four-hour multiple-choice exam – my first in more than 30 years! It was a challenge, but it reignited my passion for medicine and transformed my own personal wellbeing. 

Q: What role do culture, environment and daily routines play in the global rise of lifestyle-related diseases?
Dr. George: Culture and environment have a profound impact on our health behaviors. Across many regions, we see trends like poor sleep hygiene, endless screen time, highly processed diets and a lack of daily physical movement, particularly among young people. These are often deeply embedded in social norms and daily routines, and they don’t shift easily. For instance, late-night work and digital habits affect sleep quality, which in turn disrupts hormones that regulate hunger and satiety, making weight management more difficult. I’ve seen teenagers present with obesity, sleep apnea, joint issues and even early-onset diabetes. These are no longer isolated problems, they are early signs of a global health crisis that’s emerging far earlier in life than we’ve ever seen before.

Q: How is obesity shaping health and economic outcomes around the world?
Dr. George: Obesity is one of the most pressing global health challenges we face. It’s linked to a rise in type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, some cancers and a wide range of musculoskeletal and metabolic complications. In many countries (both high- and middle-income), obesity rates are rising at an alarming pace. This isn’t just a healthcare issue, it’s an economic one. The World Obesity Federation projects that by 2035, the global economic impact of obesity could exceed $4 trillion2. And much of that burden stems not from treatment costs, but from reduced productivity and workforce strain. No health system, however advanced, is equipped to sustain that long-term without significant change.

Q: What practical strategies do you recommend to patients beginning their lifestyle medicine journey?
Dr. George: Start small – that’s key. For someone inactive, I might begin with two 10-minute walks a week and build slowly. Sleep is just as important. Without quality sleep, weight management becomes much harder. In terms of diet, I encourage more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and oily fish, and less ultra-processed food, red meat and processed meat. Simple, consistent changes work best.

Q: What excites you most about the future of lifestyle medicine?
Dr. George: Technology is a game-changer. Wearables have already changed the game. You can now monitor heart rate, sleep, oxygen, even ECGs from your wrist. Continuous glucose monitoring has transformed diabetes care, and if glucose sensors are reliably built into smartwatches, it will be nothing short of revolutionary. But what excites me most isn’t the devices themselves, it’s what they allow us to do. For the first time, patients can see in real time how their daily choices shape their health. That knowledge is powerful. It shifts medicine from treating symptoms after the fact to empowering people to prevent disease before it starts. That’s where the future lies.