Primary prevention, which focuses on preventing disease among healthy individuals, is a key component of public health. Adopting a healthy lifestyle, including healthy nutrition, has been shown to be an effective means of reducing the risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and various types of cancer.
In light of these data, there is a growing need to train medical students and physicians to promote healthy nutrition and preventive medicine. Such training may strengthen healthcare professionals’ knowledge, awareness, and confidence in addressing nutrition-related issues, while encouraging the integration of nutritional considerations as an integral part of medical care. However, despite the importance of this topic, studies have identified significant gaps in nutrition education among medical students worldwide.
This study seeks to examine the training of medical students and physicians in Israel regarding the promotion of healthy nutrition as a preventive medicine strategy and to contribute to the development of educational policy in this field. The study builds upon the Samuel Neaman Institute’s ongoing efforts in the fields of food security and nutrition education, with a particular focus on promoting healthy food consumption among the population. It is grounded in the premise that healthcare professionals play a central role in fostering behavioral change and reducing risk factors for chronic diseases.