Let food be the best medicine
The meaning of food and nourishment has been degraded in every aspect of our lives. There are many reasons for this, including the food and pharmaceutical industries, as well as medical schools worldwide. The average U.S. medical school devotes less than 1 percent of total lecture hours to nutrition.
Accreditation requirements for medical residencies and fellowships do not include nutrition. Of course, this translates into medical practice once a resident is done with training. Doctors simply do not talk about nutrition or healthy life choices, either because of lack of time or just ignorance. Modern medicine concentrates on treating symptoms rather than fixing the root of the problem. That means, of course, putting patients in the newest more expensive treatment for diabetes or high cholesterol but forgetting about everything else. A focus on treatment rather than prevention has led to a medical education that ignores the central role that food plays in health.
The lack of nutrition education during medical training is also a costly mistake. The prevalence of obesity in the general population was 39.8% and affected about 93.3 million of US adults in 2015~2016, this according to the CDC. Obesity related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer that are some leading causes of preventable, premature death. Healthcare spending has skyrocketed in the last few years. The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the United States was $147 billion in 2008 US dollars; the medical cost for people who have obesity was $1,429 higher than those of normal weight.
The obesity rate in the general population is alarming. How can we fix this and break the chain that has created one of the biggest health problems in humanity, that is, of course, obesity and all the health issues associated with it? This is the inspiration for the creation of this work, and will hopefully shape my style of practicing medicine as an internal medicine physician. My ideal practice, is one in which lifestyle choices including diet and exercise play a paramount, central role in restoring health. Meanwhile, current medical knowledge including evidence base medicine will, of course, aid in helping my patients feel better and attain their goals.
The thought of achieving and maintaining health through what we put in our plate is marveling. There is a vast amount of evidence already out there. My journey of awaking, as for many others, started after watching the Forks Over Knives documentary, and that lead me to read The China Study. This extraordinary work, by Dr. Campbell, presents the findings from the most comprehensive large study ever undertaken on the relationship between diet and the risk of developing chronic diseases, including cancer. The benefits of a whole food plant base diet are countless. As I move forward on this journey, I will be sharing material in an easy to digest format to help us make better choices regarding food and nutrition to stay healthy.
By: Victor J Gasia, MD