If you are like most people; - You pick up your information off the street from friends and colleagues who have never studied or trained in the human biological sciences
- If you are really concerned about getting good information you might check the Internet
- And if you are in need of 100% correct information you go to your doctor.
I won’t comment on 1. or 2. But by commenting on 3. You can decide about the information you get in 1. and 2.
The following is an abstract and summary from a study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition:
Background: Numerous entreaties have been made over the past 2 decades to improve the nutrition knowledge and skills of medical students and physicians. However, most graduating medical students continue to rate their nutrition preparation as inadequate.
Objective: The objective was to determine the amount and type of nutrition instruction at US medical schools, especially including the instruction that occurs outside designated nutrition courses.
Design: A 12-item survey asked nutrition educators to characterize nutrition instruction at their medical schools (required, optional, or not offered) and to quantify nutrition contact hours occurring both inside and outside designated nutrition courses. During 2004, we surveyed all 126 US medical schools accredited at that time.
Results: A total of 106 surveys were returned for a response rate of 84%. Ninety-nine of the 106 schools responding required some form of nutrition education; however, only 32 schools (30%) required a separate nutrition course. On average, students received 23.9 contact hours of nutrition instruction during medical school (range: 2–70 h). Only 40 schools required the minimum 25 h recommended by the National Academy of Sciences. Most instructors (88%) expressed the need for additional nutrition instruction at their institutions.
Conclusion: With the move to a more integrated curriculum and problem-based learning at many medical schools, a substantial portion of the total nutrition instruction is occurring outside courses specifically dedicated to nutrition. The amount of nutrition education in medical schools remains inadequate.
What does this mean? It means that unless your doctor has spent a lot more time on his own studying nutrition you would be better off searching the Internet. Only problem is how do you know if that information is correct or written by a trusted professional? That is where your personal health expert comes in. Seek out someone who has the education and training to either answer your question with scientific theories and research or can review the quantity of known data out there and get you an answer or point you in the right direction. Don’t ask just anyone on the street. So much information that is passed around is wrong and out dated and too often being manipulated or furthered by inadequate health and fitness counselors.
UltraFit Clinic is working to solve this problem by creating a health and nutrition product that will actually help you to learn how to feed your body for health, recovery and optimal performance. Just dieting to lose weight is not the answer. Knowing the how and why’s of what you are eating creates long-term impact and the greatest flexibility for individuality in a good exercise and nutritional program.
Stayed tuned as more is coming…