The Preventable Disease Crisis - Medical Schools Commit to Increase Nutrition Training for Future Doctors
Medical students will now utilize the expertise of nutritionists, dieticians, and other professionals in the field to gain sound nutrition science.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Education have secured commitments from 53 of the nation’s top medical schools across 31 states to require at least 40 hours of nutrition education, or implement a 40-hour competency equivalent, for all medical students starting in the fall of 2026.
America is in a preventable disease crisis. Even as our nation spends $4.4 trillion annually on treating chronic disease and mental health, an estimated one million Americans die from food-related chronic illnesses each year. To reverse the chronic disease epidemic, health care professionals must be trained to recognize, diagnose, treat, and prevent lack of proper nutrition.
Nutrition education is sorely lacking in America’s medical training. Historically, less than 1% of total lecture hours in U.S. medical schools has been devoted to nutrition. Medical students surveyed in 2022 reported receiving an average of 1.2 hours of formal nutrition education. Only 14% of current health care providers feel comfortable discussing nutrition with their patients.
Medical students will now be able to utilize the expertise of nutritionists, dieticians, and other professionals in the field to gain sound nutrition science.