HHS, education department push medical schools to revamp nutrition education

HHS and the Department of Education have called for immediate reforms to how nutrition education and training are implemented in U.S. medical schools as part of a sweeping initiative to tackle chronic disease and promote prevention-focused care.

The initiative is part of President Donald Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again agenda. 

It outlines six core reform areas for nutrition education requirements to be embedded: premedical standards, medical school curricular integration, medical licensing examination residency requirements, board certification and continuing education, according to an Aug. 27 news release shared with Becker’s. 

“Medical schools talk about nutrition but fail to teach it,” Mr. Kennedy said in the release. “We demand immediate, measurable reforms to embed nutrition education across every stage of medical training, hold institutions accountable for progress, and equip every future physician with the tools to prevent disease—not just treat it.”

While almost $4.4 trillion is spent on mental health and chronic conditions annually, around 1 million Americans die each year from diet-related chronic diseases, according to the release. However, many physicians graduate having completed less than two hours of nutrition instruction, with only 14% of residency programs requiring a nutrition curriculum, the release said. 

Medical education organizations must submit detailed action plans by Sept. 8 that outline how they will meet new nutrition education standards, including timelines, milestones and accountability measures.

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