Were you aware that “80% of doctors say they’re not confident offering nutrition advice?

"So what the [hell] do they know?"

"They only know pharmacology.”

"A pill for every ill."

This is not a joke or insult, it's just a fact. Prior to RFK Jr. discussing it in this attached video, I had listened to a panel of highly regarded physicians discuss this topic a couple of years ago. Most said they had no nutritional training while others said they had a few hours on the subject. One doctor said that she had four hours of training in nutrition and she had more than any of them. I read a couple of articles on the subject and found the same across the board with most physicians. It seemed the only medical personnel getting any real training on nutrition were dieticians. 

I had a hard time wrapping my head around that at the time and couldn't understand why the very people charged with our health knew nothing about the foundation of good health at all.

Now I know why. Because they didn't have to. Medical students typically only take courses they will be tested on for their degree. Guess what hasn't ever been on the test? Yep. Nutrition.

So about 80% of our doctors admittedly know little to nothing about nutrition. Their training is to treat with medications, always. It's what they know because that's all they've been taught. Think about it. When was the last time you had a discussion with your doctor about your diet? The last time they offered anything other than a new pill or radical therapy for your needs? How about the last time you followed the doctors orders, loaded up on prescriptions, and felt worse than when you started?

I am still agas that as intelligent as they all are, and so many are geniuses, that it never dawned on any of them that nutrition was the driver of all health and the key to keeping their patients well. Or maybe that's the point.

I know that average people are taught that you have to eat right to make your body strong. Even the whole "apple a day keeps the doctor away", and "food is fuel for the body" is somehow embedded in my mind and I am no doctor. Didn't we learn this at at early age? At home? At School?

Then why hasn't it dawned on doctors that it's something they need to know for overall good human health? When did they forget that between 7th grade health class and their PHD? 

And this.

Proper nutrition can prevent, treat, or even cure things like diabetes, heart disease, chronic inflammatory diseases, and mental health. Ever had a doctor tell you that? 

In all fairness, I have had these discussions with my own physicians in the past. When you spend half your life dealing with gut issues about all anyone talks about is what food you should and should not put in your mouth. For the record, almost all of them were wrong in their advise. 

Hopefully, RFK Jr. is changing all of this. Now medical students will have to learn at least something about promoting overall good health with proper diet and exercise, because you know, there will be a test.