Lifestyle Center of America was the dream of Dr. Otey Johnson, born in Battle Creek , Michigan on July 14, 1914. During his formative years, Otey personally witnessed the phenomenal growth of one of the most prestigious health centers of its day, the Battle Creek Sanitarium. Here, Americans from all walks of life including Henry Ford, Amelia Earhart and others came for specialized and wholistic care. In 1944, Dr. Johnson completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Oklahoma .

In the early 1980's Dr. Johnson's own health problems forced him to re-examine medicine, but from a patient's perspective. He traveled to California , where he toured two health centers that were focusing on lifestyle change as the means to reversing the effects of coronary artery disease and diabetes. He returned to Oklahoma , determined to build a health center where people could restore their health through lifestyle medicine.

Dr. Otey Johnson died August 21, 1984 of inoperable cancer.  In 1993, construction began of the Lifestyle Center of America in Sulphur , Oklahoma . Opening ceremonies were held on April 28, 1996.  Lifestyle Center of America is a part of the Ardmore Institute of Health, a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation with a health education charter. The Center's unique lifestyle medicine is offered in a Christian context, and services guests of all religions, faiths, races and creeds. 

Since Lifestyle Center of America opened, more than 3,000 people have attended the lifestyle education programs at the Center's medical lifestyle resort. Guests have seen incredible improvement in their quality of life and restoration of their health through lifestyle change.