McGovern, Burgess Introduce New Bipartisan Resolution Calling for Nutrition Education for Medical Students and Physicians

Press Release

Today, Congressman James P. McGovern, Chairman of the House Rules Committee, (D-MA) and Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX) introduced a new bipartisan resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives that calls for medical schools, residency, and fellowship programs to provide nutrition education that demonstrates the connection between diet and disease and develops the skills necessary to initiate meaningful nutrition interventions and referrals.

Obesity, type-2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and stroke are among the leading causes of death and disability nationwide and are inextricably linked to diet. Moreover, the economic costs related to diagnosed diabetes exceed $300 billion per year and the costs related to obesity exceed $200 billion per year.

Despite the human and economic toll, physicians in training receive little to no education on the relationships between diet, food and health--often lacking the skills to counsel patients.

The resolution, which directly addresses the lack of nutrition training in medical education, was drafted following an earlier Congressional Briefing on Nutrition Education in Medicine, organized by the Nutrition Education Working Group. The group includes nationally recognized leaders in nutrition science, education, and food and health policy who meet regularly at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

"This resolution should be a wake up call to everyone who is involved in training our physicians: it's time to get serious about nutrition education," said Congressman McGovern. "Nutrition, food access, and a person's health are not only directly related to each other, they are directly connected to our progress as a nation. It is time we treat them as such. This bipartisan resolution I am introducing alongside my colleague on the Rules Committee, Dr. Burgess, is a step in the right direction, and I look forward to working together so that our medical students and physicians are given the training they need to improve nutrition among patients."

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