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Personal and professional nutrition-related practices of US female physicians^1,2,3

¹ From the Departments of Family and Preventive Medicine (EF), Nutrition and Health Sciences (EHW), Epidemiology (GB), and Biostatistics (LKE), Emory University, Atlanta, and the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta (MKS).

Background: The extent to which female physicians personally and clinically adhere to dietary recommendations is unknown and has implications for patients.

Objectives: We aimed to identify US female physicians' personal and professional nutrition- and weight-related habits and to identify which, if any, of their personal habits predicted their clinical practices.

Design: Our sample included the 4501 respondents to the Women Physicians' Health Study, a large, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study of the health behaviors and counseling practices of US female physicians.

Results: Forty-three percent of physicians performed nutrition counseling, and 50% performed weight counseling with patients at least yearly. Forty-six percent thought that discussing nutrition was highly relevant to their practices, 47% thought the same about discussing weight, and 21% stated that they had received extensive related training. Primary care physicians, obstetricians-gynecologists, pediatricians, vegetarians, and those with a personal history of obesity were more likely to provide nutrition and weight counseling to patients. Female physicians report regularly performing more nutrition and weight counseling than they do most other types of prevention-related counseling. Female physicians report relatively healthy diet-related habits, and these personal habits are related to their likelihood to counsel their patients about nutrition and weight.

Conclusions: Nutrition and weight-related issues are important to female physicians in both their personal and professional lives, and these 2 spheres influence each other.

Key Words: Physicians • women • diet • nutrition • body weight • obesity • counseling • eating disorders • Women Physicians' Health Study • female physicians

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