Metagenics Hosts First Lifestyle Medicine Summit

to Address Growing Epidemic of Chronic Illness

Fourteen experts in lifestyle medicine to present at

groundbreaking conference

San Clemente, Calif. (June 6, 2012) – Metagenics, Inc.,  a nutrigenomics and lifestyle medicine company focused on reducing chronic health conditions and improving health, announced that it is convening its first Lifestyle Medicine Summit on September 28-30, 2012, in Dana Point, Calif. This landmark professional education event will bring together prominent leaders in this rapidly growing field to share how science-based protocols can be effectively applied in clinical practice to reduce or reverse chronic health conditions and transform lives.

Around the world, the adoption of Western dietary habits, along with increasingly sedentary lifestyles and poorly managed stress, has led to an epidemic of chronic illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease and autoimmune diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of two adult Americans has at least one chronic illness, and chronic diseases contribute to seven out of 10 deaths in the U.S.

Internationally known leaders in the field of lifestyle medicine, Jeffrey Bland, PhD, and Mark Hyman, MD, are confirmed speakers, as well as John Gray, PhD, bestselling author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus.

“With the worldwide epidemic of chronic disease impacting our health and our economies, there’s no debating that lifestyle medicine is a powerful force that cannot only help prevent, but also alleviate many of these illnesses,” said Jeffrey Bland, PhD, FACS, CNS, chief science officer for Metagenics, Inc. “The Lifestyle Medicine Summit is a unique opportunity to share advancements in lifestyle medicine and nutrigenomic approaches that address and help delay or reverse the onset of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer, digestive issues, stress, inflammation, hormones, and cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.”

The Lifestyle Medicine Summit will take place at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, Calif., on September 28-30, 2012.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Jeffrey Bland, PhD, FACS, CNS, internationally respected for his work in nutritional biochemistry and functional medicine, and the author of more than 150 papers and five books on nutrition and its relationship to health and disease. He is a former senior research scientist and director at the Linus Pauling Institute of Science and Medicine, a co-founder of Bastyr University, and founder of the Institute for Functional Medicine. He currently serves as chief science officer for Metagenics.

• Mark Hyman, MD, a world-renowned clinician and internationally recognized leader in addressing the root causes of chronic illness. He is the bestselling author of The Blood Sugar Solution, UltraMetabolism, The UltraMind Solution, and The UltraSimple Diet, and coauthor of UltraPrevention. He serves as the chairman of the Institute for Functional Medicine, and is on the board of directors of The Center for Mind-Body Medicine.

• John Gray, PhD, noted relationship expert, bestselling author and lecturer, provides practical insights to manage stress and make simple lifestyle and dietary changes for healthy minds and bodies. His new book, Venus on Fire, Mars on Ice, outlines lifestyle tools to support hormone balance at any age.

• Jay Lombard, MD, board-certified neurologist and the author of The Brain Wellness Plan and coauthor of Balance Your Brain, Balance Your Life. He is the chief of neurology at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center and clinical assistant professor of neurology at Cornell Medical School. He has lectured extensively on the application of lifestyle medicine strategies in neurological disorders.

• Joel Evans, MD, the founder and director of The Center for Women’s Health, where he practices integrative health care. He also serves as assistant clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and women’s health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and is a member of the core faculty for The Center for Mind-Body Medicine and The Institute for Functional Medicine.

• Susan Blum, MD, MPH, a pioneer in lifestyle medicine and the founder of Blum Center for Health, providing personalized approaches to chronic disease. She is an assistant clinical professor in preventive medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and a member of the senior teaching faculty at The Center for Mind-Body Medicine. She also serves on the medical advisory board for “The Dr. Oz Show” and is a regular health contributor to Martha Stewart’s Whole Living.

• Wendy Warner, MD, board certified in obstetrics and gynecology, as well as holistic medicine. She runs a successful private practice and also serves on the medical advisory board for “The Dr. Oz Show,” where she has made appearances to discuss integrative approaches to women’s health issues—including hormonal imbalance, menopause, and central adiposity.

• Kristi Hughes, ND, the associate director of medical education for the Institute for Functional Medicine and co-developer of the Metagenics FirstLine Therapy Certification Program, which helps doctors implement personalized lifestyle therapies in clinical practice. She is also the founder of the Center of Natural Healing Arts, providing various modalities of natural health care.

• Lise Alschuler, ND, FABNO, coauthor of The Definitive Guide to Cancer: an Integrative Approach to Prevention, Treatment and Healing and the epigenetic guide, Five to Thrive: Your Cutting-Edge Cancer Prevention Plan. She is a cancer survivor and board-certified naturopathic oncologist who utilizes safe and effective natural therapies along with conventional cancer treatments. She has been featured on SIRIUS Doctor Radio to discuss integrative cancer care.

• Robert Rakowski, DC, CCN, DACBN, DIBAK, the clinic director of the Natural Medicine Center in Houston, Texas. He has lectured nationally and internationally to health professionals on various health topics for over 13 years, and has appeared on numerous television and radio programs as an expert in natural medicine.

• Joseph Lamb, MD, a board-certified internist and founding diplomat of the American Board of Holistic Medicine who now conducts clinical research with lifestyle modification and nutritional therapies. This published author and lecturer is also a faculty member at the Institute for Functional Medicine. He is currently director of intramural clinical research at Metagenics.

• Deanna Minich, PhD, FACN, CNS, a mind-body-spirit nutritionist and author of four books on nutrition and wellness. She is also a practicing research clinician who has published over 15 articles in peer-reviewed journals. She lectures internationally on health topics ranging from women’s health to successful aging. She is currently vice president of scientific affairs at Metagenics.

• Kelly Austin, ND, is a director of two clinics in Southern California that specialize in integrative patient care. Her special interests include clinical nutrition, fitness, hormone balance, and autism spectrum disorders. She is a leader in corporate wellness, working with government agencies to help implement preventive lifestyle changes.

• Dr. Bridget Briggs, MD, is a board certified family practitioner who specializes in integrative medicine. She completed her medical degree at the University of California at San Diego; an internship in obstetrics and gynecology at University Medical Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas; and a residency in family practice at Riverside County Regional Medical Center. She received certification through Scripps Institute for Integrative Medicine and has been in private practice since 2001.

To learn more about the Metagenics University Lifestyle Medicine Summit and to register for the event, visit www.metagenics.com/2012summit or call 800-692-9400.

About Metagenics, Inc.
Metagenics, Inc. (www.metagenics.com) is a nutrigenomics and lifestyle medicine company focused on reducing chronic illness and improving health. Founded in 1983, Metagenics serves more than 75,000 healthcare providers worldwide through premium quality, science-based medical foods, nutritional formulas, and lifestyle therapy programs to help their patients achieve a lifetime of good health. Metagenics’ scientific staff—among the largest in the nutrigenomics industry—has published more than 80 articles in peer-reviewed journals and has been awarded more than 50 international or domestic patents. The company’s educational arm, Metagenics University, collaborates with renowned medical experts to annually deliver more than 200 events designed to help healthcare professionals stay on the leading edge of lifestyle medicine and incorporate nutrition into their clinical practice.

Metagenics maintains its corporate headquarters in San Clemente, CA; R&D headquarters in Gig Harbor, WA; and operating subsidiaries in Brussels, Belgium and Brisbane, Australia.