In a surprising new step, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has issued an ultimatum as he wants American medical schools to teach more about nutrition, or they may lose federal funding.
See the tweet below!
This bold move challenges the status quo and echoes Trump-style scrutiny over federal spending.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared his intention to require American medical schools to incorporate nutrition courses into their curriculum.
Should they fail to comply, they risk losing essential federal funding from the Department of Health and Human Services.
This initiative comes as a criticism of the current medical education system, which focuses heavily on drug therapy over dietary measures to treat and prevent disease.
Kennedy emphasized that the lack of comprehensive nutrition education is a significant oversight.
He stated that medical training should encompass skills necessary to treat illnesses with food, not solely with drugs.
“There’s almost no medical schools that have nutrition courses, and so [aspiring physicians] are taught how to treat illnesses with drugs but not how to treat them with food or to keep people healthy so they don’t need the drugs,” RFK Jr. said.
An HHS official shed light on Kennedy’s commitment to combating chronic diseases by rethinking the common overreliance on medication in favor of nutritional approaches.
Kennedy’s plan aims to bridge the gap in current medical training – an average of just 19 hours is dedicated to nutrition over four years.
With chronic diseases on the rise, the importance of this proposal cannot be overstated.
Reactions among experts have been largely positive, reflecting a growing acknowledgment of the importance of proper nutrition in healthcare.
Notable nutrition experts like Dr. David Eisenberg and Dr. Jo Marie Reilly have long advocated for clear standards, recognizing the public’s misconception about physicians’ knowledge in this critical area.
Eisenberg described a “great sense of urgency” to implement these changes.
Their call for a standardized national curriculum includes 36 nutritional competencies that students should master.
Some medical schools argue they already offer adequate nutrition education, while others agree that a more standardized approach is beneficial.
A 2015 study underscored the deficiency in nutrition education, which ill-prepares doctors for real-world clinical practice.
Meanwhile, the Association of American Medical Colleges claims all responding schools cover nutrition content, though the quality and depth of that content remain questionable.
“One of the things that we’ll do over the next year is to announce that medical schools that don’t have those programs are not going to be eligible for our funding, and that we will withhold funds from those who don’t implement those kinds of courses,” stated Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
In line with Trump’s administration’s approach to federal funding, Kennedy’s willingness to leverage financial support as a tool for reform is consistent with conservative efforts to prompt actionable change.
This aligns with broader health reform agendas aiming to eliminate government waste and thoughtfully allocate resources to promote wellness rather than reactive treatment.
Kennedy’s push for increased nutrition education comes at a time when diet-driven conditions like obesity and diabetes are rampant.
Experts argue for preventive health measures, stressing dietary changes as a crucial vehicle for reducing these conditions.
Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he plans to tell American medical schools they must offer nutrition courses to students or risk losing federal funding from the Department of Health and Human Services. https://t.co/Ymf1JQai03
— ABC News (@ABC) June 4, 2025
