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The number of doctors that are trained to offer nutritional advice is fewer than one eighth, according to polls, reports Washington Post. In fact, less than 25% doctors believe that they are qualified enough to give nutrition counselling. The number of hours that are associated with teaching the physicians about nutrition has actually declined in the medical schools from 22.3 in 2004 to 19.6 in 2009. Most physicians themselves are overweight and do not follow a routine of exercise themselves. The bigger problem is that 15% of Americans are worried about putting food on their children's plates than caring about nutrition.

However, this is starting to change as the schools like Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans are preparing their students not only for the nutrition study but also how to cook. According to Dr. Timothy Harlan, known to the world of food media as Dr. Gourmet, is also the executive director at Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine at Tulane, this program is lot more than just understanding about nutrition. The main idea to teach them how to talk about food. Dr. Harlan wants his students at Tulane to not only prescribe nutrition to their patients but also teach them how to cook, what to cook and why, reported NPR

"Physicians talk about nutrition and diet all the time, but they don't talk about it in a way that communicates change to their patients," Harlan says, in a video produced by the school. He also says that the students will be taught about low-cost ingredients so that they can also help the communities in low-income groups. This skill is required in New Orleans as 64% adults were classified as either obese or overweight. "We know from the literature that when people go home and start cooking from real ingredients for themselves that their health improves," Harlan says. "We also know that they don't really know how to do that," according to News Wabe