HHS Calls for Comprehensive Nutrition Education Reforms

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with the support of the U.S. Department of Education, is calling for comprehensive nutrition education and training from leading medical education organizations.

“Medical schools talk about nutrition but fail to teach it,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “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.”

In a press announcement, HHS said, “Each year, an estimated 1 million Americans die from diet-related chronic diseases, even as the U.S. spends more than $4.4 trillion annually on chronic disease and mental health care. Despite overwhelming evidence that nutrition is one of the most powerful tools for disease prevention, the vast majority of physicians graduate with little to no training in nutrition counseling.”

To close this gap, HHS and the Department of Education called for nutrition education requirements to be embedded across six areas:

• Pre-Medical Standards
• Medical School Curricula Integration
• Medical Licensing Examination
• Residency Requirements
• Board Certification
• Continuing Education

HHS directed U.S. medical education organizations to submit, by Sept. 10, written plans detailing the scope, timeline, standards alignment, measurable milestones, and accountability measures of their nutrition education commitments.

CRN Welcomes News

The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) welcomed the call for more nutrition education and better training of healthcare professionals, noting the dietary supplement industry has been urging for more instruction for healthcare providers for years.

Through the association, CRN’s members have already developed and provided nutrition education to healthcare professionals to supplement their lack of training in this area. In the past year, CRN has offered education for pharmacists on the role of vitamin D in health maintenance, hosted education for doctors on the critical role of prenatal supplements for the health of mothers and babies, and provided continuing education programs for dietitians on the risks created by nutrition gaps and how supplements can help fill them. 

“We’ve been calling on schools of medicine, pharmacy and dietetics to acknowledge the relationship between nutrition and better health as well as a proper role for dietary supplements,” said CRN President and CEO Steve Mister. “Poor diets are not without consequence. It’s encouraging to hear the Administration sound similar alarms that healthcare providers should get this training before they are certified to practice.”

“Too often, when consumers ask about supplements or seek advice from their providers about their supplement regimens, these conversations get shut down instead of fostering an informed dialogue. We can do better,” Mister continued.

According to CRN’s most recent consumer survey, three-quarters of Americans use dietary supplements, and 91% of supplement users say these products are “essential” to their wellness regimens.