Is Your Doc CLUELESS About Nutrition? (Shocking Study)
You trust your doctor to have all the answers when you’re sick. After all, they’ve spent years in medical school, right?
But what if I told you that when it comes to the #1 killer in America, most doctors are FLYING BLIND?
It’s true. And it’s shocking.
New research reveals that most doctors receive little to no education about nutrition during their years of medical training.
And yet, diet-related diseases are the LEADING cause of death in the United States!
Here’s what the research shows:
- 58 percent of medical students reported receiving no formal nutrition education during their four years of medical school.
- Those who did get some nutrition education averaged a measly 3 hours per year.
- More than HALF of medical students failed a basic nutrition knowledge quiz.
But it gets worse…
Even though they failed the quiz, 55 percent of these students felt comfortable counseling patients on nutrition!
This is a disaster waiting to happen.
Why? Because poor diet is responsible for more deaths than smoking.
It’s linked to…
- heart disease
- diabetes
- obesity
- mental health issues like depression and anxiety
And the cost of treating those diseases is astronomical. High blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol alone cost about $400 billion per year to treat. In 25 years, that’s expected to triple to $1.3 trillion!
So why aren’t doctors learning about nutrition? There are a few reasons…
To start, medical schools are already cramming students with information. Plus, there’s a lack of qualified nutrition instructors. Last but not least, preventive care, including nutrition counseling, takes time that many doctors don’t have.
But here’s the kicker—90 percent of medical students say nutrition education should be mandatory in medical school. They know it’s vital. But the system is failing them—and us.
So, what can you do?
- Don’t rely solely on your doctor for nutrition advice. Seek out a registered dietitian or certified nutrition specialist.
- Educate yourself using reliable sources like the Seasonal Food Guide (seasonalfoodguide.org)
- Be proactive about your health. Remember, prevention is always better (and cheaper) than cure.
- Spread the word. Share this information with friends and family. The more we know, the more we can demand better from our healthcare system.
Your health is too important to leave in the hands of a system that’s not equipping doctors with crucial nutrition knowledge.
Take control of your health today. Your life may depend on it.
P.S. Something wrong with the new nutrition labels? Click here to get must-know information.
SOURCE:
Duggan, Michael P.; Kodali, Anahita T.; Panton, Zach A.; Smith, Shannon M.; Riew, Grant J.; Donaghue, Jack F.; Leya, Gregory A.; and Briggs, Logan G. (2023) “Survey of Nutrition Education Among Medical Students,” Journal of Wellness: Vol. 4 : Iss. 2, Article 11.
