Why Don't More Medical Schools Train Doctors about the Importance of Nutrition and Physical Activity? A Medical Education Forum

Former Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman and Former Secretary of HHS Donna E. Shalala to Headline October 17^th Event

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Fifty percent of Americans live with one or more chronic illnesses, and diet and physical activity are key risk factors for many. Health care professionals are uniquely positioned to change this trend through patient education. However, medical schools are not required to teach nutrition and physical activity education.

On Thursday, October 17, 2013 from 9AM to 2:30PM, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and the American College of Sports Medicine will hold a special forum to discuss the importance of including nutrition and physical activity in medical school curriculum as part of prevention-oriented care.

The event will highlight several innovative approaches taken by specific U.S. medical schools and include perspectives from insurers, licensing and certification boards, and community-based organizations. 

Watch the webcast live here.

WHO:

Secretary Dan Glickman, former Secretary of Agriculture
Senior Fellow, BPC; Co-chair, BPC Nutrition and Physical Activity Initiative

Secretary Donna E. Shalala, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services; President, University of Miami; Co-chair, BPC Nutrition and Physical Activity Initiative

Carol Aschenbrener, MD, Chief Medical Education Officer, Association of American Medical Colleges

Don Bradley, MD, Senior Vice President & Chief Medical Officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina

Dr. Bill Dietz, MD, Former Director of the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Matt Haemer, MD, Assistant Professor in Pediatric Nutrition, University of Colorado Denver

Suzanne Hecht, MD, Chair, American Boards of Family Medicine's Sports Medicine Exam Committee

Marie-France Hivert, MD, Vice-Chair, Physical Activity Committee, American Heart Association

Martin Kohimeier, MD, Professor of Nutrition, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health

Eddie Phillips, MD, Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Founder of Institute of Lifestyle Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Cynthia Schoettler, Fourth-Year Medical Student, Boston University

Jennifer Trilk, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville

WHAT:       BPC, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and the American College of Sports Medicine to hold forum on the Importance of Teaching Nutrition and Physical Activity in Medical Schools as Part of Prevention-Oriented Care.

WHEN:       Thursday, October 17, 2013 
                  9:00AM – 2:30PM

About the Bipartisan Policy Center
Founded in 2007 by former U.S. Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole, and George Mitchell, Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) is a non-profit organization that drives principled solutions through rigorous analysis, reasoned negotiation and respectful dialogue.  With projects in multiple issue areas, BPC combines politically balanced policymaking with strong, proactive advocacy and outreach. http://www.bipartisanpolicy.org/.

About the Alliance for a Healthier Generation
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, founded by the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation, works to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity and to empower kids to develop lifelong, healthy habits. The Alliance works with schools, companies, community organizations, healthcare professionals and families to transform the conditions and systems that lead to healthier children. To learn more and join the movement, visit www.HealthierGeneration.org. 

About the American College of Sports and Medicine
The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 50,000 international, national and regional members and certified professionals are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine. www.acsm.org

SOURCE Bipartisan Policy Center