Mitochondrial Function, Obesity, and Personalized Lifestyle Medicine

Abstract

The future for designing specific interventions targeting improvement in mitochondrial function employing personalized lifestyle intervention is bright given the significant progress that has been made in the field since early investigations in the mid-1980s. This progress is exemplified by the 2017 publication of a controlled exercise and diet intervention trial in obese adults that demonstrated significant improvement in energy, strength, peak oxygen consumption, quality of life, and bone mineral density after the tailored aerobic and resistance exercise program and calorie controlled diet. Being a part of this evolving field of mitochondrial function has been a wonderful experience-one that I have come to more fully appreciate as I look back with a historical perspective on my 30 years of involvement in personalized lifestyle medicine.