Nutrition, a Tenet of Lifestyle Medicine but Not Medicine?

Abstract

Nutrition is a foundation of health and one of six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine. The importance of nutrition in clinical care is now widely recognized by health care professionals and the public. However, clinicians are not comfortable counselling their patients on nutrition due to inadequate or lack of training, leaving a significant need in patient care. This gap can be closed with evidence-based curricula in medical schools and in the trainings of other health care professionals. This communication presents the current state of nutrition knowledge in health care, emphasizing nutrition education for physicians, and presents a model of how pre- through post-professional health care providers may become proficient in nutrition counseling including appropriate referral to more specialized providers. With these skills, health care professionals will be able to initiate patient-centered lifestyle plans. This includes improving diet and utilization of team-based medicine and referrals.

Healthy Food, Healthy Teeth: A Formative Study to Assess Knowledge of Foods for Oral Health in Children and Adults

“…Oral health food knowledge has been studied in a range of health professionals [ 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ]. The classification of foods as healthy or otherwise was in accordance with recommendations and advice outlined in government-endorsed dietary guidelines for healthy eating of the respective countries of study [ 42 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 ].…”

Nutrition in Healthcare Education

“…The nutrition information is abundant, but healthcare providers are not being taught sufficiently enough to feel competent to counsel patients. It should be no surprise that in the United States, where 60% of American adults have one or more diet-related chronic diseases, over 60% of these adults are not receiving nutrition counseling (Frame, 2021).…”

“…Primary care providers hold a unique position as frontline prevention for patients, with prime opportunities to catch health conditions early or before they occur and prevent further decline or development of conditions. Despite this ideal position for nutrition intervention and education, nutrition counseling is only included in an estimated 25-40% of primary care visits (Frame, 2021).…”