University of South Alabama joins national initiative to expand nutrition education in medical training
Posted on March 11, 2026 by Lindsay Hughes
Building on its integrated nutrition and culinary medicine curriculum, the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama has joined a national effort aimed at expanding nutrition education for future physicians.
Led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Education, the Advancing Nutrition Education Across the Medical Continuum initiative brings together 53 medical schools across 31 states. Participating institutions will provide at least 40 hours of nutrition education — or a 40-hour competency equivalent — for medical students beginning in fall 2026.
David S. Weber, Ph.D., assistant dean of medical education and professor of physiology
and cell biology at the Whiddon College of Medicine, represented the University of
South Alabama at a meeting of leaders from participating medical schools on March
5 in Washington, D.C.
“Given the importance of nutrition in overall health and disease prevention, participating in this HHS initiative was a natural step for the Whiddon College of Medicine,” Weber said. “This commitment aligns with our ongoing efforts since 2018 to expand nutrition education in our curriculum and provides an opportunity to collaborate with like-minded institutions across the country. Our goal is not only to provide students with a strong foundation in nutritional science, but also to ensure they feel comfortable engaging with patients on these topics and empowering them to use lifestyle approaches to improve health outcomes across the Gulf Coast.”
Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes are the leading causes of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many of these conditions are strongly influenced by diet and other lifestyle factors. Yet despite strong evidence that nutrition plays a central role in preventing and managing disease, many physicians receive little formal nutrition training during medical school.
To help address this gap, the National Institutes of Health will dedicate $5 million through a multi-phase nutrition education challenge to support medical schools and other health professional programs developing coursework, clinical training and research focused on evidence-based nutrition science.
A hands-on approach to nutrition education
At the Whiddon College of Medicine, nutrition education is already integrated throughout the four-year medical curriculum to ensure graduates are prepared to address the unique health challenges of the Gulf Coast region.
In addition to foundational instruction in metabolism and nutritional science, students learn about disease-related nutrition, eating disorders, and the role of diet in preventing and managing chronic conditions. Nutrition concepts are also reinforced through clinical experiences, where students see firsthand how lifestyle and dietary choices influence patient health.
A cornerstone of the College’s approach to nutrition education is hands-on culinary medicine training. Every medical student participates in sessions in the teaching kitchen, developed in collaboration with USA Health’s Integrative Health & Wellness Program. Directed by Robert Israel, M.D., an internal medicine physician with USA Health, the program brings together partners across the academic health system to promote nutrition, lifestyle medicine and preventive health.
“USA Health built its first teaching kitchen nearly 10 years ago, recognizing the importance of nutrition in disease prevention and wellness,” Israel said. “However, that commitment began even earlier, when the health system sent representatives to learn how to better teach medical students, nursing students and the public not only what foods to eat, but how to prepare them in ways that are both healthy and delicious.”
Israel said they quickly learned that handing patients a sheet of diet instructions without ensuring they had the skills to prepare those foods at home often was ineffective.
“USA Health, the Whiddon College of Medicine, and the University have been early adopters and leaders in this ongoing effort,” Israel added. “We welcome the new attention to this crucial component of health statewide and nationwide.”
In 2021, the University of South Alabama joined the Teaching Kitchen Collaborative, a global network dedicated to improving lives through culinary and lifestyle education. Currently, two teaching kitchens support programming in Mobile and Baldwin County, with a third planned for the new Whiddon College of Medicine building to open in 2027.
The College is exploring opportunities to expand the teaching kitchen curriculum by incorporating additional sessions focused on dietary strategies commonly recommended for patients with conditions such as cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, metabolic disorders and obesity. The medical school is also developing standardized patient encounters that allow students to practice counseling patients about healthy nutrition in the context of food insecurity and programs such as SNAP.
“These experiences will help students better understand the real-world challenges many patients face and equip them with practical strategies to support healthier choices,” Weber said.
For students seeking more advanced training, the Whiddon College of Medicine offers a fourth-year elective in lifestyle medicine that explores nutrition, exercise and wellness in greater depth before they transition to residency. The course includes multiple teaching kitchen sessions that allow students to apply nutrition principles in practical, patient-focused ways.
The College’s sustained focus on nutrition education has also generated strong interest among students. The Culinary Arts and Lifestyle Medicine (CALM) student interest group regularly hosts invited experts in nutrition and lifestyle medicine and organizes teaching kitchen sessions for fellow students. Many medical students also help lead culinary medicine classes for USA employees and members of the local community, giving them opportunities to discuss nutrition outside the traditional clinical setting.
The Whiddon College of Medicine's culinary medicine program has also gained national attention. Its teaching kitchen was featured on Alabama Public Radio and National Public Radio in March 2025, highlighting the University’s innovative approach to integrating nutrition and culinary medicine into medical education.
Learn more about the Whiddon College of Medicine’s nutrition in medicine curriculum.