Lifetime Wellness Chiropractic

• “The latest federal data show that nearly 40% of American adults were obese in 2015-6, up from 34% in 2007-08.  In 1985, no state had an obesity rate higher than 15%. In 2016, five states had rates over 35%."  - commonwealthfund.org

• "Preventable medical errors in hospitals kill 210,000 to 448,000 a year.” - A New, Evidence-based Estimate of Patient Harms Associated with Hospital Care - Journal of Patient Safety, 2014

 

The first fact above should disturb you because most diet advice comes primarily from Medical Doctors. In regards the second ...you should know that medicine in now the leading cause of preventable death and injury in the US, and 3rd overall ...more than respiratory disease, accidents, stroke, and Alzheimer's. 

 

AN INTERESTING STORY

Recently, one of my Practice Members sent me a list - off of a Medical Doctor’s website - that pointed out “21 reasons why you should never see a Chiropractor.”  They were a laughable bunch of ignorant statements made by a fool, but this one took the cake, so to speak:

 

"Most chiropractors don’t know much about nutrition. Chiropractors learn little about clinical nutrition during their schooling. Many offer what they describe as 'nutrition counseling.' But this typically consists of superficial advice about eating less fat and various schemes to sell you supplements that are high-priced and unnecessary."

 

Now if you didn't know anything about an MD’s or DC’s education, you could easy assume that Chiropractors are a bunch of hacks who don't study nutrition at all, as compared to the vast educational of background Medical Doctors.

 

FACT FROM FICTION 

Here is a list of the REQUIRED nutrition courses in ALL Chiropractic Schools in the US:

 

• Principles of Biochemistry I & II

• Biochemistry of Nutrition & Metabolism

• Basic Human Nutrition I & II

• Public Health, Nutrition, and Wellness

• Clinical Nutrition

 

A minimum of 264 HOURS of nutritional coursework in 4 years is required for a Doctorate of Chiropractic.  

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Here is a list of the REQUIRED nutrition courses in ALL Medical Schools in the US:

 

Um ......here's where things get a bit dodgy, because ...there are no such nutrition course requirements.

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The NIH (National Institutes of Health) website shows results of a survey of nutritional studies done at all 126 US medical schools accredited by the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges). Here's what they found:

 

• Only 93% of the schools required nutrition instruction, and 41% of those schools recommended (but not required) just 25 hours of "nutrition-related coursework" to complete their medical degrees.

• Those graduating averaged just 23.9 hours total course time in 4 years.

• 18% of those graduates had taken 10 hours or less of nutrition instruction.

• 5% of the schools offered optional nutritional instruction only.

• 2% of US medical schools reported that they offered NO nutrition instruction whatsoever.

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In another study, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) found that, overall, an average of only 21 hours of nutrition instruction was required in medical schools, and that just 27% of those schools had dedicated, required nutrition courses: 

 

“In US medical schools, the bulk of nutrition education continues to be taught in the basic science courses or in an integrated format. But only an average of 17.7 hours of nutrition instruction was taught in a dedicated nutrition course. More than half the schools dedicated significantly less than that. This means that three-quarters of the nutrition instruction in medical schools is not specifically identified as nutrition in the curriculum, but are integrated into the basic science courses, such as physiology or biochemistry.” - NAS

 

Basic science courses, what? That's telling us that most medical school students study nutrition as just a passing reference to something about food while going over what you learned in your High School Sophomore Biology class. It’s insulting to call this “nutritional education,” and dangerous when you realize people will be relying on these doctors to help them live healthy lives.

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LARGELY INADEQUATE

But take some comfort that at least the instructors recognize there's a problem (too bad they don't treat anybody). 

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“An overwhelming majority (88%) of instructors indicated that students at their medical schools need more nutrition instruction, whereas only 8% said that they did not. Patients routinely seek physicians' guidance about diet, and the relation of nutrition to the prevention and treatment of disease is well known. However, practicing physicians continually rate their nutrition knowledge and skills as inadequate.” - NAS

 

And finally:

 

“Nutrition education programs in US medical schools are largely inadequate to meet the present and future demands of the medical profession.” - NAS

 

"Largely inadequate” ...could it be because - at less than 20 hours in 4 years - it’s practically non-existent?

 

Here's a quote from a related article:  “Although the roots of type 2 diabetes are in the everyday food choices that lead to obesity and insulin resistance, we were ready to amputate, but never started a discussion about improving her diet” 

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TELL ME AGAIN WHO'S SELLING "SCHEMES" BRO?

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Coupled with the unprecedented epidemic of pain-killer and prescription-drug abuse that is literally murdering hundreds of thousands of American each year ...how dare this medical doctor criticize my profession with his garbage.

 

I will now paraphrase the (not so) good medical doctor’s claim made above:

 

"Most Medical Doctors don't know much about nutrition. Medical Doctors learn at least TEN times less about clinical nutrition - if at all - during their schooling than Chiropractors do. Many offer what they describe as “nutrition counseling.” But this typically consists of superficial advice about eating less fat and various schemes to sell you DRUGS that are high-priced, unnecessary, and will most likely contribute to your demise."

 

I know a TON about health and nutrition; I have to ...it wasn't an elective. Also ...I live it.

 

It’s important to remember that excess weight and obesity is the single greatest risk-factor for heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke, and hypertension - the big five that kill most Americans. It’s also the greatest contributor to loss of spinal and joint function leading to surgery.

 

I’m available to help YOU gain control of your weight and health if you want to make a change. It’s never too late. 

 

Let me help YOU. Click on the link below for an appointment!