Nutrition competencies for the prevention and treatment of disease in Australian medical courses

To the Editor: In Australia, cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes mellitus contribute to 56% of all deaths,1 and have a significant nutrition-related lifestyle component. In 2008, 68% of men and 55% women were classified as overweight or obese,1 and of those in residential aged care, 50% were moderately or severely malnourished.2 Accreditation standards for medical schools (currently under review) specify that medical graduates have the ability to apply nutrition knowledge in practice.3 Nutrition has been integrated into medical education in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada since 2001, and the medical profession has adopted nutrition competencies.4 However, no nutrition competencies have been included in Australian medical courses.