The review names stigma, personal health habits and clinical practice constraints (time, funding, guidance, low dietitian referrals) among the reasons for the nutrition knowledge gap¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2025 · checked against its sources 2026-10-31 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person · recheck by 2030: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q2 i? The scoping review's thematic synthesis lists stigma and personal health habits, and challenges in clinical practice (lack of time, funding and guidance; low referral rates to dietitians), among the reasons for the nutrition knowledge deficit; it argues that stigma-driven avoidance and time and funding pressures widen the gap, while for health habits and referrals it reports associations and barriers rather than an effect on knowledge. → Khiri Nasr and Kristy Howells 2025

Evidence¶

Khiri Nasr and Kristy Howells 2025¶

Khiri Nasr and Kristy Howells. (2025). Nutritional Education in Medical Curricula and Clinical Practice: A Scoping Review on the Knowledge Deficit Amongst Medical Students and Doctors. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. https://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.70031

q2 · i? · review · r2

Scoping review (28 papers, thematic analysis) of why medical students and doctors in English-speaking countries lack nutrition knowledge. Under its first theme, the factors behind the knowledge deficit, "stigmas and health habits" and "challenges in clinical practice" are two of the four factor categories. The review argues that weight stigma and the avoidance of nutrition discussions limit chances to apply knowledge, "widening the knowledge gap", and that short consultations and no financial compensation for nutrition care deprioritise it, "further widening the gap in nutritional knowledge and practice". For the other subthemes it reports narrower findings: doctors with healthy eating habits are more likely to give nutrition advice (a correlation), clinical guidelines for nutrition care are lacking, and junior doctors made few referrals to dietitians because they did not know how or when to refer. It does not show that habits or referral rates change the knowledge deficit.

"Ganis and Christides [13] find that weight stigmatisation is prevalent in medical practice. The stigma surrounding nutrition not only impacts the quality of patient care but also contributes to the nutrition knowledge deficit among medical professionals."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• The review reports that most UK medical students receive less than 2 hours of nutrition education and that 75% of US medical schools have no required clinical nutrition classes — related
• The review reports that low confidence in counselling patients and perceived insignificance of nutrition contribute to the knowledge deficit among medical students and doctors — related
• The review reports a lack of comprehensive guidelines and mandatory enforcement as a principal reason for inconsistent nutrition education across medical schools