RFK Jr. demands medical schools teach nutrition or face federal consequences
By isabelle // 2025-08-28
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  • Medical schools fail to teach nutrition despite diet-related diseases killing more than 1 million Americans annually.
  • Kennedy and McMahon demand federal funding be tied to mandatory nutrition education reforms in medical schools.
  • Current medical training averages just 1.2 hours of nutrition education per year, leaving doctors unprepared.
  • New requirements include nutrition in pre-med, curricula, exams, residencies, certifications, and continuing education.
  • Kennedy’s plan shifts healthcare from treating sickness to preventing disease through food-as-medicine approaches.
America’s medical schools have long been churning out doctors who are trained to prescribe pills but clueless about the power of food as medicine. Now, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Education Secretary Linda McMahon are taking a stance against this irresponsible trend. In a bold move to combat the nation’s chronic disease crisis, the two officials are demanding that medical schools finally take nutrition education seriously or risk losing federal support. The announcement, made August 27, comes as part of Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again agenda, which aims to slash the $4.4 trillion spent annually on preventable diseases by addressing root causes like poor diet. The problem? Most doctors graduate with almost no training in nutrition despite diet-related illnesses killing over 1 million Americans every year.

A system failing patients

Kennedy didn’t mince words: “Medical schools talk about nutrition but fail to teach it.” The evidence backs him up. A 2023 study found that medical students receive, on average, just 1.2 hours of nutrition education per year. Another 2015 report revealed that 71% of U.S. medical schools provided fewer than 25 hours of nutrition instruction over four years. Meanwhile, the Association of American Medical Colleges admits that while nutrition is mentioned in curricula, it’s rarely taught in depth. “Each year, we pour more than four trillion dollars into treating these preventable diseases,” Kennedy said in a video statement, “and we continue to graduate physicians unprepared to confront their root cause.” The solution? A full overhaul. Kennedy and McMahon are now requiring medical schools to submit detailed plans by September 8 outlining how they’ll integrate nutrition education across six key areas: pre-med standards, medical school curricula, licensing exams, residency programs, board certifications, and continuing education.

A call for real change

Some schools, like Cornell and the University of North Carolina, claim they already teach enough nutrition. But experts say that’s not enough. Dr. Nate Wood, a Yale Medicine physician specializing in obesity and nutrition, told ABC News that while more training is needed, doctors alone can’t fix the problem. “Many patients lack access to a registered dietitian, and physicians aren’t trained to work in concert with these nutrition experts,” Wood said. “Interprofessional collaboration with dietitians needs to be a focus.” Kennedy’s plan goes further. He envisions a future where doctors don’t just prescribe drugs—they prescribe diets. “In the future, doctors won’t just prescribe drugs, they’ll be able to prescribe diets as well,” he said. “This is both radical and common sense.” This push comes as Kennedy also overhauls federal dietary guidelines, replacing a 164-page industry-influenced document with a four-page, whole-foods-focused guide set for release soon. The old guidelines, he said, were “clearly written by industry” and riddled with conflicts of interest. The new approach aligns with growing research showing that diet and lifestyle changes can prevent and even reverse chronic diseases. Yet for years, medical schools have prioritized pharmaceutical solutions over prevention, leaving doctors ill-equipped to address the real causes of illness. Kennedy’s demands are part of a broader effort to shift American healthcare from a sickness industry to a wellness industry. But will medical schools comply? Some may resist, clinging to outdated models. Others, however, recognize the urgency. As Kennedy put it: “We demand immediate, measurable reforms… to equip every future physician with the tools to prevent disease—not just treat it.” For millions of Americans suffering from diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, that change can’t come soon enough. Sources for this article include: TheEpochTimes.com HHS.gov ABCNews.go.com
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