LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine is among more than 50 higher education institutions nationwide that have joined a new initiative led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Education to require at least 40 hours of nutrition education for medical students beginning in fall 2026.

The initiative aims to better prepare future physicians to address diet-related chronic diseases through evidence-based nutrition education.

According to the Louisiana Department of Health, approximately 40% of Louisianans have obesity, compared with 32.8% nationwide. Research shows obesity is a major preventable risk factor for chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, hypertension and certain cancers. Nutrition also plays a critical role in mental health, physical growth, maternal health and fetal development, and immune function. In addition, Feeding America reports that one in six adults and one in four children in Louisiana experience food insecurity.

By expanding nutrition education, medical schools can better equip future physicians and healthcare professionals to approach treatment and disease prevention more holistically. Enhanced coursework will prepare medical students to help patients better understand nutrition, follow treatment and prevention guidelines, and improve overall health literacy.

By strengthening nutrition education, future physicians trained at LSU Health New Orleans will further benefit the patients and communities they serve.

“LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans is the primary pipeline for Louisiana’s physician workforce,” said Dr. Richard DiCarlo, dean of the LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine. “By enhancing our curriculum on nutrition, we will have a positive impact on healthcare delivery across the state. It is our goal to improve the health of Louisiana’s population. Training our doctors to better understand the connections between nutrition and chronic disease will help them address some of the most significant health challenges facing our citizens.”

A comprehensive assessment of the School of Medicine’s required courses and clerkships determined that LSU Health New Orleans already meets the HHS and Department of Education benchmark of 40 hours of nutrition education across the curriculum. To further strengthen this foundation, course directors are working to more explicitly integrate nutrition as a longitudinal theme throughout all phases of medical education.

In addition to participating in the Advancing Nutrition Education initiative, LSU Health New Orleans is home to several nutrition-focused research projects. These include studies examining the rebuilding of the gut microbiome through physical activity and nutrition following chemotherapy, as well as research aimed at tailoring nutritional prevention and treatment strategies for chronic diseases.

LSU Health New Orleans’ commitment to the Advancing Nutrition Education initiative underscores the institution’s obligation to prepare future physicians to address Louisiana’s most pressing health challenges. By aligning its curriculum with national nutrition education standards, the School of Medicine aims to equip graduates with the knowledge and skills they need to improve patient outcomes and advance population health across the state.

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About LSU Health New Orleans
LSU Health New Orleans educates Louisiana's health care professionals. The state's health sciences university leader, LSU Health New Orleans includes a School of Medicine with campuses in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, the state's only School of Dentistry, Louisiana's only public School of Public Health and Schools of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Graduate Studies. LSU Health New Orleans faculty takes care of patients in hospitals and clinics throughout the region. In the vanguard of biosciences research, the LSU Health New Orleans research enterprise generates jobs and enormous annual economic impact. LSU Health New Orleans faculty have made lifesaving discoveries and continue to work to advance treatments and prevent and cure disease.