hsph.harvard.edu
A panel of experts in nutrition and medicine is urging the integration of nutrition competencies into U.S. medical education to address the growing prevalence of diet-related diseases. Their recommendations aim to fill a critical gap in physician training, helping future doctors guide patients on nutrition and food choices more effectively.
The call to action follows a bipartisan U.S. House resolution (H. Res. 1118) that emphasizes the need for meaningful physician education in nutrition. As diet-related illnesses such as obesity and diabetes continue to rise, the financial burden on Medicare and the broader healthcare system is mounting, with diet-related healthcare costs reaching $800 billion in 2019. Despite this, most U.S. physicians receive little to no formal training on how to counsel patients on healthy eating, leaving them ill-equipped to address this growing public health challenge.
The expert panel, consisting of medical educators, nutritionists, and physicians, reviewed over 350 nutrition competencies and developed a consensus on 36 essential skills for medical students and trainees. These competencies span six key areas, including foundational nutrition knowledge, patient assessment, public health, and interdisciplinary collaboration. For example, the competencies include assessing a patient’s nutritional status, advising on diet-related conditions, and referring patients to dietitians when appropriate.
The panel also called for the inclusion of nutrition topics on medical licensing exams and the implementation of competency assessments within medical education programs. Notably, 73% of panelists recommended adding a competency focused on the environmental and planetary impacts of food choices, reflecting a growing awareness of the relationship between diet, health, and the environment.
With chronic, diet-related diseases on the rise, the lack of nutrition training for physicians is a glaring oversight. Equipping doctors with the knowledge to advise on healthy food choices could reduce healthcare costs, improve patient outcomes, and promote health equity by ensuring that nutrition advice is part of routine medical care. Additionally, addressing this gap may foster greater collaboration between healthcare professionals and nutrition experts, leading to more comprehensive patient care.
These recommendations represent a significant step toward improving public health through better physician education on nutrition, an often-neglected area of medical training. If implemented, these competencies could lead to a generation of physicians better prepared to guide patients toward healthier lifestyles, reducing the burden of diet-related diseases across the U.S. healthcare system.