A groundbreaking Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health study analyzing medical education gaps has revealed that most U.S. physicians lack proper training to advise patients on nutrition and food choices, despite $800 billion in annual Medicare costs from diet-related diseases. The study's expert panel of 37 medical and nutrition professionals has proposed 36 essential competencies across six critical categories—foundational knowledge, assessment and diagnosis, communication skills, public health understanding, collaborative care, and referral guidelines—with 97% of panelists calling for formal nutrition testing on licensing exams. This research, published in JAMA Network Open, directly responds to the U.S. House of Representatives' bipartisan resolution calling for "meaningful physician and health professional education on nutrition and diet," highlighting that addressing America's chronic disease crisis requires comprehensive policy interventions targeting the root causes of inadequate medical nutrition training rather than solely focusing on individual lifestyle choices.