A routine medical visit includes a blood pressure check, a temperature reading and screening for depression, but most people may be surprised to realize that there is often not much discussion about nutrition.
That’s about the fact that a poor diet is the biggest risk factor for dying from heart disease and other illnesses, and accounting for 11 million deaths worldwide each year, research has found.
Now a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association urges doctors to examine the eating habits of their patients during routine checkups.
“This was honestly a call to action … We want to encourage (physicians) that diet is part of the conversation and not something we ignore,” said Maya Vadiveloo, lead author and assistant professor of nutrition and nutrition sciences at the University of Rhode Island, told TODAY.
“Clinicians really want to talk about diet; they recognize how important it is. With COVID, it’s what people talk about, because obesity is related to major health complications. ”
So what’s stopping doctors from stealing? A “lack of training” is one reason, the statement noted. Many doctors in medical school do not receive much instruction on nutrition and obesity prevention, leading to “persistent gaps” in this part of their training, studies have found.
Doctors also often do not have the time to ask during what is already a whirlwind visit. Some feel a “sense of futility” when they bring up the subject.
But doctors can really make a difference because patients see them as a very trusted source of advice, Vadiveloo said.
An important step to start the conversation is an automatic diet screener who would be part of the routine visit, the statement noted. This would be a quick questionnaire that patients can complete at the start of the checkup that assess their overall diet, calculate a score and alert the doctor about all red flags.
The AHA statement has already reviewed 15 such screening tools and although it did not support specific support, the authors highlighted a few that may be helpful. They included the Mediterranean Screen Adherence Screener, which asks 14 questions about daily consumption of olive oil, fruits, vegetables, nuts, wine, fish and other foods.
How to talk to your doctor about your diet:
Since nutrition is not a standard topic that is currently being addressed during routine medical visits, your doctor may or may not bring it up. If this is a topic you would like to discuss, Vadiveloo recommends simply by talking.
‘Because doctors are very receptive to this interview, just say,’ I want to make sure I meet my dietary recommendations. Do you have any advice or information I can look into, or someone I can talk to to make sure my diet is on track? ” Advise them.
What happens next may vary depending on your doctor’s experience and his practice. Some doctors are comfortable giving advice themselves; others may refer you to experts within their medical group or to a registered dietitian.
Vadiveloo, who is an RD, said that anyone can book a good discussion about their eating habits with a registered dietitian, but that they may have to pay it out of pocket. Insurance cannot cover the visit unless it is tied to a particular health state.
To prevent dieting, experts asked people to do their own research to stay with trusted sources of nutritional advice such as the American Heart Association, the government’s MyPlate program and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, which ‘ t also provides assistance in finding a locally registered dietitian.
A study in American Family Physician, the journal of the American Academy of Family Physicians, recently cited diet as the single most important risk factor for disability and premature death.
With such recognition, Vadiveloo’s optimistic diet would soon become a standard topic of conversation during routine health visits.
“We’re starting to see it as almost a perfect storm where there is interest, there are tools and partnerships can be developed to really put diet ahead of one of the health signs that we really need to monitor. keep, follow and talk to almost patients, ”she said.
