‘Lifestyle’ is frequently used by patients to describe the aetiology of their obesity. Health professionals however, use ‘lifestyle management’ as a broad term to describe non pharmacological or non-surgical treatment of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hyperlipidaemia and obesity. It is an essential component of any weight management program and describes / includes interventions ranging from general education about diet, activity, exercise or behavioural strategies, to intensive specialist allied health involvement in all of these areas. Intensive lifestyle management invariably occurs as part of a multidisciplinary team-based model of care. Further intensity of lifestyle management can be achieved by assigning a patient case manager & by co-locating the multidisciplinary team & services they provide, including group education, support sessions, and supervised exercise. Intensive lifestyle management facilitates interventions needed to reduce the barriers (knowledge, physical and psychological) that prevent patients from achieving weight loss and maintenance of weight loss. This talk will not only review recently published lifestyle intervention studies such as the LOOK AHEAD Program & CROSSROADS but also the Australian experience with lifestyle initiatives such as GET HEALTHY, HEAL & Metabolic Rehabilitation Programs.