US Health Secretary RFK Jr. Urges Nationwide Nutrition Education in Medical Schools

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., alongside Education Secretary Linda McMahon, is urging medical schools and related accreditation bodies to significantly enhance nutrition education for medical students and residents as part of the Trump administration's Make America Healthy Again agenda. Kennedy emphasized that despite chronic diseases like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes being preventable or reversible through diet and lifestyle changes, most medical students receive less than two hours of nutrition instruction and feel unprepared to counsel patients on nutrition. The initiative calls for embedding nutrition education at every stage of medical training, including licensing exams and residency programs, to better equip future physicians to prevent disease rather than just treat it. Kennedy highlighted the healthcare system's ability to adapt rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic as evidence that swift reform in medical education is possible when a crisis is recognized. The administration aims for voluntary compliance from medical institutions and has previously secured industry commitments toward healthier food products. This push seeks measurable reforms and accountability in medical education to leverage nutrition as a powerful tool in preventing chronic diseases.