How Much Do Doctors Know Nutrition?

Would you go to a dentist with rotting teeth? Or seek advice from a bankrupt financial planner? What about seeing a fat doctor? A new study published in the journal Obesity surveyed primary care physicians across the United States and found that overweight physicians were significantly less likely to advise their obese patients to lose weight. When doctors outweighed their obese patients, only 1 out of 10 initiated a weight loss conversation (compared to 9 out of 10 skinnier docs). Even when doctors do advise their patients on healthy eating, how much do they really know?

In my 2-minute video Do Doctors Make the Grade?, I present a study in which the nutrition knowledge of health professionals was put to the test. The results aren’t pretty, and medical education may be to blame. In my NutritionFacts.org video pick today, I show that most medical schools in the United States fail to provide even a bare minimum of nutrition training:

Now if my fellow medical colleagues would just admit these shortcomings, that would be one thing, but studies show that doctors are overconfident in their knowledge and ability to counsel patients about healthy lifestyles. See my 2-minute video Doctors Know Less Than They Think About Nutrition. Unfortunately, this arrogance extends to the mainstream medical establishment.

Last year, a bill was introduced in California to mandate that physicians get continuing medical education in nutrition (see Nutrition Education Mandate Introduced for Doctors). Unbelievably, physician trade groups such as the California Medical Association came out in opposition to the bill, which would only require doctors to get a measly 7 hours of nutrition training anytime before 2017 (see Medical Associations Oppose Bill to Mandate Nutrition Training).

I document the saga using footage from the public hearings in California Medical Association Tries to Kill Nutrition Bill, ending with Nutrition Bill Doctored in the California Senate. The bill passed, but not before it was gutted.

In health,
Michael Greger, M.D.

Image credit: Gullig / Flickr

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Dior H.

11:23AM PDT on Mar 12, 2012

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Glenn A.

12:03AM PDT on Mar 12, 2012

Its simple...University medical labs are pretty well paid for (subsidized) by the big pharmaceutical companies...it isn't really the doctors fault, directly, it is just that the BIGPHARMA wants to make sure they get thier money back, and more, so anything that will take money out of thier pockets is not taught, would be the same if Monsanto et al paid for the labs that taught agriculture...oh wait, they do. Most of the people posting here seem to have enough of thier own knowledge on how nutrition works towards health that they can make thier own decisions on it better than a Dr. can, or is willing to. Want a Dr that knows more about nutrition...fight big Pharmaceutical companies, and figure out different ways to pay for the Med Labs.

Sarah M.

10:46AM PST on Feb 28, 2012

So true. The picture says it all, things haven't really changed much. It's astounding because these people are doctors! Western medicine is so twisted and ineffective, it's all about profit. Most doctors in the U.S. don't do there job--taking care of the patient. It's a complete waste of time and money to go to the doctor. Unless you have a serious injury there is no point. I have no faith in them. I prefer eastern traditions.

Jennifer C.

6:15PM PST on Feb 20, 2012

Thank you.

Past Member .

11:07AM PST on Feb 20, 2012

Dr Gregor has some great informational videos that make sense at his website. BUt the overall question here is what do doctors know?
Well it is obvious, that most of them know that people who eat unhealthy diets will make them boat loads of money via a host of pills prescribed to fight the effects of animal fat in their diets, instead of working with them to actually make them healthier.
Personally, I consider it criminal. Not just a little morally questionable, but considering what we know today, in many cases, the doctors are very much responsible for the deaths of their patients who they lead straight to the grave. There needs to be health warnings on all meat packages like cigarettes about the damage that it causes to your health. The addiction is the same, a million cigarettes, will kill you, a million burgers, you are just as dead. The product needs to be labeled for what it really is. Death.

Rin S.

10:05PM PST on Feb 19, 2012

This is proof that we shouldn't listen to a doctor simply because they're a doctor.

Rudolf A.

6:42AM PST on Feb 19, 2012

How did Doc's once get away smoking whilst seeing patients and lecturing them on smoking!

Richard R.

12:11AM PST on Feb 19, 2012

Well, what do we expect from doctors? Many of them think they are God's gift to humanity, and will say just about anything to justify their profession. Nurses are no better. They think that because they work in the medical profession, they're entitled to diagnose, treat and give advice to patients. The only way to truly protect ourselves and stay healthy is to do the research ourselves or see a nutritionist, N.D., herbalist, etc. Nowadays it's up to us to take care of ourselves.

Winn A.

11:43PM PST on Feb 18, 2012

Not much.

Leena K.

10:30PM PST on Feb 18, 2012

Nutrition is part of being healthy and my doctor has the same opinion, but unfortunately it is not yet common knowledge..