Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a plan to require college and pre-med programs to implement nutritional education into their curriculum.
According to HHS, the United States spends more than $4.4 trillion each year on chronic disease and mental health care. The department criticized the majority of physicians for not having adequate nutrition training, noting that nutrition is “one of the most powerful tools for disease prevention.”
“Medical schools talk about nutrition but fail to teach it,” said Kennedy. “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.”
The health effort, in partnership with the Department of Education, seeks to add nutrition education standards to pre-medical programs, medical schools, medical licensing exams, residencies, board certifications, and continuing education.
“U.S. medical education has not kept up with the overwhelming research on the role of nutrition in preventing and treating chronic diseases,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. “Medical schools across the country must act now to align their training with the latest research so that future physicians have the means to best help their patients stay healthy. The U.S. Department of Education is proud to stand with HHS in working to lower chronic disease rates, especially in children.”
Medical education organizations are to submit their plans for nutrition education by September 10.
The initiative supports President Trump’s agenda to Make America Healthy Again. The plan also aligns with the president’s executive order reimplementing the Presidential Fitness Test. “Rates of obesity, chronic disease, inactivity, and poor nutrition are at crisis levels, particularly among our children,” the order read. “These trends weaken our economy, military readiness, academic performance, and national morale.”
