California Medical Association Tries to Kill Nutrition Bill

Though enthusiastically supported by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, of which I’m a proud member, both the California Medical Association and the California Academy of Family Physicians came out opposed, and testified against, a California bill this year that would require physicians to become educated on the subject of nutrition—or, at least, get seven hours of nutrition training anytime in the next four years.

One of the members of the committee in which the bill was stuck felt the need to side with the California Medical Association against the bill—perhaps because his number one campaign contributor was the California Medical Association. But as the hearing went on, you could tell he was struggling with his conscience:

Senator Mark Wyland: “This bill is going to be tough for me, and I probably, frankly, regrettably, am going to have to take the view of the CMA and Family Physicians because I agree, and let’s get real. They’re right! We know they’re right! I’d like to see maybe a different approach. Rather than hear it, and I don’t dispute what this young one has said, but rather than hear, ‘Oh gee, it’s woven in the curriculum,’ I’m somewhat skeptical. It affects diabetes. I have a mother that’s got diabetes. We all know that diabetes 2, type 2, is mostly controlled by lifestyle. And so, it just seems to me, in the panoply of things, this ought to be one. And I say all this, and yet, I don’t think I can vote for it today, because I really just don’t think this is quite the right way to do it. But we all know this. There isn’t a person here who doesn’t know this. So I’m sorry to get so energized, but I know people personally who are affected by it, you know? Both my parents were affected by it. We know that. So I, I hate the fact that I, that I, I can’t support it today, but if this, if this doesn’t get out, you’ll work on me. This, it’s just, you know, if, if you, if you rank the importance of things, you’ve got, I just don’t believe you don’t think this is pretty darn important.”

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Peter Mellor.

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