EAT for Health Act of 2015

Gil Anthony Rubia

Professional Role Development
Mrs. Mikelaites
October 25, 2015

To: Dave Brat, U.S. Congressman

From: Gil Anthony Rubia, Student Nurse from Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing
Date: October 22, 2015
Subject: EAT for Health Act of 2015
Nutrition is important to everyone in the United States, affecting both medical and social
aspects of life. According to this bill, seven out of 10 deaths among people in the United States
each year are from chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and
cancer. With the prevention of these diseases, mortality rate can decrease, improving the life of
the citizens, and also help the government by lowering yearly costs (Grijalva, 2015).

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, two-thirds of adults in the
United States are currently overweight, and half of those overweight individuals are
obese. One in three children are overweight, and one-fifth of children are obese. The
United States spends about $147 to $210 billion a year on obesity related diseases,
including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and arthritis (Grijalva, 2015).

Nutrition classes are usually required prior to entering a medical related program. Nurse
practitioners and primary health care practitioners were all exposed to nutrition related courses.
However, Frantz, Mcclave and Zeisel (2011) found data that suggest that medical students
perception of the importance of clinical nutrition can decrease in medical school. Morbidity and
mortality can be decreased by nutrition education to the patients, however, fewer hours of
training in nutrition is being required in medical schools.

Most schools (103/109) required some form of nutrition education. Of the 105 schools
answering questions about courses and contact hours, only 26 (25%) required a dedicated
nutrition course (Adams, 2010).

Overall, medical students received 19.6 contact hours of nutrition instruction during their
medical school careers (range: 070 hours); the average in 2004 was 22.3 hours. Only 28
(27%) of the 105 schools met the minimum 25 required hours set by the National
Academy of Sciences; in 2004, 40 (38%) of 104 schools did so (Adams, 2010).

In conclusion, the amount of nutrition education is insufficient for the prevention of nutrition
related diseases. These diseases include obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer
(Grijalva, 2015).
Recommendation: The Eat for Health Act requires nurse practitioners and physicians are to
continue education courses related to nutrition. In order to achieve this, the Secretary of Health
and Human Services will need to issue Federal agencies guidelines to ensure that medical
personnels have continued education regarding nutrition. Also, 18 months after the enactment of
the proposed act, the agencies will be required to report the percentage of professionals who has
completed the educational courses. With the continued education courses, people in the medical
field can reinforce the importance of nutrition to the patients, and prevent diseases.

References

Adams, K. M., Kohlmeier, M., & Zeisel, S. H. (2010). Nutrition Education in U.S. Medical
Schools: Latest Update of a National Survey. Academic Medicine: Journal of the
Association of American Medical Colleges, 85(9), 15371542.
http://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0b013e3181eab71b

Frantz, D., Munroe, C., Mcclave, S., & Martindale, R. (2011). Current Perception of Nutrition
Education in U.S. Medical Schools. Current Gastroenterology Reports Curr Gastroenterol
Rep, 376-379. doi:10.1007/s11894-011-0202-z

Grijalva. (2015, July 14). H.R.3057 - 114th Congress (2015-2016): EAT for Health Act of 2015.
Retrieved October 22, 2015, from
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/3057