RFK Jr. urges mandatory nutrition training in med schools, experts demand scientific credibility

US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. intends to make nutrition education compulsory in medical schools — or risk losing federal funding. While many public health advocates agree that medical students need better training in nutrition, Nutrition Insight explores this push, which experts say must be grounded in science.

“Under Secretary Kennedy’s leadership, Health and Human Services [HHS] is committed to ensuring that nutrition is treated as core clinical knowledge — not a wellness extra — in building a healthcare system equipped to prevent and manage chronic disease,” an HHS spokesperson tells us.

Most medical schools regard nutrition as an optional component of therapy, despite its proven connection to chronic disease prevention is evident in the recent food is medicine movement. Conversely, a national survey has indicated strong public support for food is medicine programs, while another reveals that Democrats and Republicans want these programs in healthcare.

Experts have long stressed the importance of embedding nutrition in public health policy. A new report by the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Food and Nutrition Policy underscores that without bold federal measures to “curb the power of the food industry,” poor diets will continue to drive chronic disease, shorten life expectancy, and inflate healthcare costs. 

The report outlines five key areas of Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) food policy supported by scientific consensus and calls for strategies to promote whole foods and curb harmful agricultural practices. While some of the broader MAHA goals align with science, the report cautions that efforts must be grounded in evidence.

The paper also encourages doctors to complete nutrition-focused education, provide grants to medical schools, extend Medicare coverage of medical nutrition therapy, make it a mandatory benefit in state Medicaid programs, increase payment rates for registered dietitians, and pilot medically tailored meals.

A spokesperson at the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) adds: “It’s a huge missed opportunity to instruct tomorrow’s healthcare providers on strategies that can prevent disease, augment allopathic interventions, and create healthier patients.”

Most medical schools treat nutrition education as optional, despite growing evidence linking diet to chronic disease prevention. “The evidence for the connections between what we eat (and daily nutrition) and our health keeps getting stronger. CRN supports efforts to strengthen nutrition education in medical training — particularly when it helps future physicians better understand the role that dietary choices, including appropriate use of dietary supplements, can play in maintaining health and preventing disease.”

Long gap in medical training

Since 2017, David Eisenberg, adjunct associate professor of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, has warned that only about one-fifth of American medical schools require students to take a nutrition course, which is less than 25 hours over four years.

 H.Res.1118, a 2022 bipartisan resolution, recognizes and promotes nutrition education in medical and health professional training programs.

Last year, medical and nutrition experts proposed 36 recommendations for medical students and physician trainees to tackle physicians’ inadequacy in advising on nutrition and food choices.

“It’s shocking that there are no nationally required nutrition competencies within medical education,” says lead study author Eisenberg.

“This is a surprising and important gap, considering the epidemics of obesity, diabetes, and other diet-related chronic diseases in this country, as well as their ever-increasing financial and societal costs. My guess is that most patients assume their doctors are trained to advise them about nutrition and food choices, but this has simply not been part of their required training.”

The CRN spokesperson adds that the emphasis on pharmacology and acute disease management, limited faculty expertise in nutrition science, and institutional inertia are possible reasons limiting nutrition training in medicine.

“CRN and its member companies are committed to helping address this knowledge gap. For example, our members regularly engage with healthcare providers to share the science on nutrition and the benefits of supplementation when dietary intake alone is insufficient.”

Physicians lack core training in nutrition, with fewer than 25 hours of required coursework in most programs.The spokesperson spotlights CRN’s recent activities, which involve informing OB/GYNs about the advantages of prenatal supplements, promoting the Vitamin D & Me! education program, and highlighting the probiotics microsite.

Why nutrition training is fundamental

Another study, published in Medical Science Educator, explored improving nutrition education in the context of weight management and reiterated that medical school is not teaching doctors much about nutrition, which risks harm to students and patients. 

“Mainstream medicine is still very focused on linking weight to health,” says Kearney Gunsalus, lead author of the paper and an assistant professor at the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership. 

“Because people with obesity and higher body weights are more likely to have health problems, it’s easy to jump to the conclusion that the weight itself is causing those problems. And if you assume that the weight is causing the problems, it seems logical to assume that weight loss is the solution.”

The study highlights that BMI (body-mass index) does not accurately reveal health status. Instead, medical education should focus on cardiometabolic health.

“When you look at some of the newest studies on obesity surgeries and the use of medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, it appears that patients can see health benefits even without weight loss,” says Dr. Ellen House, co-author and an associate professor at the Medical Partnership. She adds that if benefits arise independent of weight loss, physicians should shift conversations with patients to emphasize health over weight loss.

The researchers worry that physicians can be less empathetic to overweight patients, causing them to blame weight and lower quality care and overlook medical issues. Weight-focused advice can be demoralizing, while encouraging healthy behaviors can lead to better outcomes.

“Nutrition should not be treated as an optional extra in medicine. It’s a core component of patient care,” says CRN’s spokesperson. “We believe that when future physicians are equipped with meaningful, evidence-based nutrition education, including understanding where dietary supplements can play a role, it enhances their ability to support patient wellness and long-term health outcomes.”

“Through our foundation’s Access Initiative, we also partner with organizations like the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics to expand access to supplements and support nutrition literacy in underserved communities.”