Organizing Committee Member
Andreas Schenk
Director
British Society Lifestyle Medicine
United Kingdom
Biography
Andreas was born and raised in South Africa, a country with a rich heritage in outdoor living and healthy lifestyle tradition. After qualifying as a medical doctor in 1992 he worked as a General Practitioner with a special interest in treating Chronic Fatigue and during his specialist training he participated in psycho-immunology research. He has maintained his longstanding interest in all areas of Lifestyle Medicine, particularly exercise and nutrition, since taking up his first position as a Consultant Psychiatrist in 2000. Andreas maintains busy independent psychiatric practices in Bournemouth and Southampton and he has enjoyed lecturing and examining other doctors specializing in psychiatry and general practice. Dedicated to a more holistic approach to treatment and prevention of psychiatric conditions, Andreas was a Founding Member of the European Society for Lifestyle Medicine as well as the European Lifestyle Medicine Organisation . He has delivered many successful presentations to health professionals and the general public on lifestyle interventions. He is also a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the British Society for Ecological Medicine. As a psychiatrist with many years of clinical experience Andreas knows that lifestyle interventions such as mindfulness, nutrition and exercise are crucial in recovery from most, if not all, psychiatric conditions. As the BSLM Director for Mental Wellbeing, he is invested in encouraging further research into Lifestyle Medicine and raising National awareness of how crucial it is for lifestyle factors to be addressed. He is particularly concerned about the rise in incidence of neurodegenerative conditions as well as lifestyle and environmental factors causing depression in the twenty-first century. In his spare time, Andreas has trained as a fitness professional. He is kept sane by his family, music, cycling and his Westie.
Research Area
Eating Disorders, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Anxiety and Depressive Disorders, Psychosomatic Conditions, Occupational Mental Health, Medical-Legal Psychiatry.