We rely on our doctors to heal us when we’re sick. And we trust them as a reliable source of nutrition advice — either to prevent illness or to recover from sickness. However, most doctors don’t receive enough training in human nutrition.

Only about 1 in 4 medical schools provide clinical training in nutrition, and even then, it only accounts for about 4.1 hours. However, some medical schools are beginning to include nutrition education into the busy med school curriculum.

Leading the movement for change is the UNC Nutrition Research Institute’s Martin Kohlmeier, M.D., Ph.D., and his team. They have developed online courses for physicians, medical students and other health-care providers to learn about the impact of nutrition on individual health and treatment outcomes. And looking forward, Dr. Kohlmeier’s team will launch a website for health professionals that can help tailor personalized nutrition plans, based on user and physician input. While still in pilot state, this online tool will ultimately be available directly to the consumer.

Learn More About UNC Nutrition Research Institute…Opens in new window