Doctors Need More Nutrition Education

I hear this all the time. “Doctors need to know more about nutrition!” Every internet and fad diet guru likes to rip on doctors for knowing little about nutrition. It is time to call bullshit on this. Why? Because the information changes ALL THE TIME! No matter what side, or diet, you endorse there is evidence to the contrary. To be honest, the studies are really hard to do. There are just too many confounding variables. Some show meat is good and some show meat is bad. Genetics may play a part. Hell, geography may play a part. Personally, I think we eat too much, eat too late in the day and eat too many carbs. I will be the first to say this is my opinion. Others, not so much. I have seen cardiologists say all fat is bad. Then they say eat low but plenty of healthy fat. WTF is that? I recently saw a cardiologist office still putting margarine down as a recommended food substance instead of butter. Are you f$cking kidding me?

So, in summary, I believe perfect nutrition is complex and a moving target. There is no ONE perfect diet for everyone. So, why do I bring this up? Because a Harvard Group Recommends Increased Nutrition Education For Doctors. Of course, they do. Here is what they want:

The authors of the Harvard FLPC report identified several medical education stages in which to increase nutrition training and recommended policy mechanisms to address the lack of nutrition training:

– For undergraduate medical education, amending accreditation standards to require nutrition training and offering additional grant funding to create nutrition education programming. 

 – For graduate medical education and board certifications, requiring nutrition education in medical schools and incorporating nutrition-related questions in required examinations. 

– After formal medical education, states should integrate nutrition education into continuing education and require—or strongly encourage—physicians to take nutrition education courses as part of maintaining their license.

Now, go back and see what I wrote at the beginning of this blog. The information on nutrition contradicts itself all the time. Who is right? Tough to say. It’s just nice when the ivory tower idiots want to make me put my license on the line for it. Unbelievable.

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