When you bring a sick pet to the vet, they first ask, “What are you feeding them?” Unfortunately, that isn’t the case with most doctors in the US. Perhaps the reason is the lack of education. Nearly 70% of medical schools don’t come close to teaching the required hours of nutrition training—the cornerstone of health! Most medical students receive less than 20 hours of education on nutrition over four years of medical school. And, what they do get tends to focus on the wrong things.
Each year, 1.5 million Americans die from diet-related diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Forty percent of Americans are obese, and all of it is preventable. By integrating comprehensive nutrition training into medical curricula, physicians can better understand the impact of food on health, recognize nutritional deficiencies, and offer evidence-based dietary recommendations. This knowledge would empower doctors to take a more holistic approach to patient care, addressing lifestyle factors that contribute to illness rather than solely relying on medications.
As nutrition-related diseases continue to rise globally, equipping doctors with the necessary skills to counsel patients on healthy eating is crucial for improving public health outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.
