A Different Kind of Congress in Bebrina: A CROLMA Reflection
The list of participants made it clear from the start that this was a multidisciplinary congressPhysicians, nutritionists, kinesiologists, psychologists, pharmacists and other professionals took part in the programme, all with an interest in health promotion and better approaches to preventing and treating chronic noncommunicable disease. The congress moved between theory and practice, covering vascular and metabolic health, stress management, sleep quality, social connection and supplementation. Dance and cooking workshops added variety, and the programme offered something for many different interests.
The programme also explored less conventional approachesAt the workshops we could try mindfulness, yoga, meditation, sound therapy, music therapy and even forest therapy. Each workshop had a different effect: sometimes we left sweating, sometimes in a better mood, and sometimes deeply relaxed.
The atmosphere
The atmosphere at the congress was relaxed but livelyEven though my formal role was mostly to listen to lectures and talk with people during breaks, I still felt involved. Colleagues shared stories and experience over coffee, and the talks often led to open discussions about the advice we give patients.
It was particularly good to see colleagues from different areas of medicine, who usually meet in very different professional settings, come together around shared lifestyle medicine topics. Discussions about population ageing, digitalisation and health policy were focused less on pessimism and more on what could actually be changed. There was a strong sense that prevention and healthy living need to be shaped jointly across professions.
I was especially glad that our friends from the Zdravi dan association Dr Vesna Žižić and Dr Ivana Petrović and nutritionist Josipa Dragičević. In our conversations, we returned to the importance of cooperation between associations and to the role that volunteering still plays in driving change in the community.
Why professional connections matter
Meetings like this can help us understand increasingly complex health problems by bringing different perspectives into the same room. The Croatian Lifestyle Medicine Association, brings together professionals from medicine, nutrition, kinesiology and psychology who are committed to addressing chronic disease through a multidisciplinary approach. Our aim is to connect different professions, promote healthier living and support more effective care.
The congress reflected that idea well. When physicians, nutritionists, kinesiologists, pharmacists and other professionals work together, there is more room to develop broader solutions to some of today's major health problems.
CROLMA aims to integrate lifestyle medicine into the healthcare system and encourage multidisciplinary collaboration. Events like this are one practical step in that direction. |
I left Bebrina with more energy and optimismThe conversations and new connections made the trip worthwhile. The sense of connection, the experience we shared and the reminder that many others are working towards similar goals gave me another reason to keep promoting lifestyle medicine. “A Different Kind of Congress” brought together science, professional practice and new ideas in a format that was genuinely different from many meetings I have attended.
