Andres Digenio

Dr. Andres Digenio is a physician-scientist born in Montevideo, Uruguay. He holds an MD from Universidad de la República, a BSc (Hon) in Sports Medicine, and a PhD in Exercise Physiology from the University of Cape Town. Board-certified in Preventive Medicine (U.S.), his career has focused on lifestyle interventions, obesity and diabetes management, and preventive cardiology.

Dr. Digenio began his academic career in Uruguay, later moving to South Africa, where he served as Medical Director of the Johannesburg Cardiac Rehabilitation Center and founded the South African Association of Cardiovascular Rehabilitation. He played a key role in advancing cardiac rehabilitation in developing countries and was elected to the World Council for Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation.

In the United States, he joined Vanderbilt University as Medical Director of the Dayani Center for Health and Wellness and led the obesity clinic, shifting his focus to weight management. Realizing the limitations of traditional counseling, he developed PulseStep, a web-based lifestyle modification program providing affordable, scalable support for weight loss and heart health. He later held senior leadership roles in the pharmaceutical industry.

Recognizing ultra-processed food consumption as a key driver of obesity and metabolic disease, he created The Natural Diet, a sustainable approach to nutrition that avoids restrictive fads.

Beyond his work, he is an avid traveler, mountaineer (summited Kilimanjaro), advanced diver, and chess enthusiast. His personal lifestyle transformation reflects the very principles he promotes—embracing whole foods, movement, and sustainable habits.