In July 20023, I attended the inaugural Mediterranean Lifestyle Medicine Conference in Leros with friends and interdisciplinary colleagues (See the conference recap). This is the outcome of our research – a consensus statement on what constitutes The Mediterranean Lifestyle.
This is a major piece – a consensus statement- on what constitutes The Mediterranean Lifestyle.
In Leros, island of Greece where our Mediterranean Lifestyle Institute has its home, (thanks to the generosity of their mayor), leads from all domains formed groups; we researched and workshopped on a near fortnightly basis, formulated our pillar, then the groups met to agree on the pillars online for nearly 2 years.
We then convened in Leros – debated under the olive groves in beautiful Leros, worked very hard whilst adhering to the ‘lifestyle’ also, until consensus was finally reached. We danced and celebrated.
The Mediterranean Lifestyle in a diagram:
Professor Labros Sidossis and Professor Catherine Itsiopoulo are the drivers here. Blessed to have had this opportunity to watch them bring minds from all cultures and disciplines together to work on something so meaningful which can be applied to improve quality of life and health through prevention.
See Defining the Traditional Mediterranean Lifestyle: Joint International Consensus Statement >>
Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis AM is the Immediate Past President of the AFMW (2020-2023), former President of VMWS (2013 & 2017-2020) and current AFMW National Coordinator (2024-2026). She is a full time clinician who also holds positions on several not for profit organisations, driven by her passion for bridging gaps across the health sector. She is a leading women’s health expert, keynote speaker, climate change and gender equity advocate and government advisor.
Magdalena was awarded a lifetime membership of the RACGP for her contributions which include past chair of Women in General Practice, longstanding contribution to the RACGP Expert Committee Quality Care, the RACGP eHealth Expert Committee. She is regularly invited to comment on primary care research though mainstream and medical media and contributes articles on various health issues through newsGP and other publications.
Magdalena has represented the RACGP at senate enquiries and has worked on several National Health Framework reviews. She is author of the RACGP Guide on Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery and co-reviewer of the RACGP Red Book Women’s Health Chapter, and reviewer of the RACGP White book
Both an RACGP examiner and University examiner, she undertakes general practice research and is a GP Educator with the Safer Families Centre of Research Excellence, which develops education tools to assist the primary care sector identify, respond to and manage family violence . Roles outside of RACGP include the Strategy and Policy Committee for Breast Cancer Network Australia, Board Director of the Melbourne University Teaching Health Clinics and the elected GP representative to the AMA Federal Council. In 2022. she was award the AMA (Vic) Patrick Pritzwald-Steggman Award 2022, which celebrates a doctor who has made an exceptional contribution to the wellbeing of their colleagues and the community and was listed as Women’s Agenda 2022 finalist for Emerging Leader in Health.
Magdalena has presented at the United Nations as part of the Australian Assembly and was appointed the Australian representative to the World Health Organisation, World Assembly on COVID 19, by the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA) in 2021. In 2023, A/Professor Simonis was included on the King’s COVID-19 Champion’s list and was also awarded a Member (AM) in the General Division for significant service to medicine through a range of roles and to women’s health.
