Review of nutritional attitudes and counseling practices of primary care physicians

I review major issues covered at the International Workshop on Nutritional Attitudes and Practices of Primary Care Physicians and synthesize some of the key findings presented at this workshop and found in the scientific literature. After presenting the rationale for managing nutritional problems in primary health care, I discuss the extent of both practice and international differences. Next, the determinants of attitudes and practices, in terms of both individual and system-level factors, are examined. Various types of interventions and the available data regarding their efficacy are reviewed. I then raise a variety of considerations regarding research methodologies and describe work in progress. Finally, suggestions are advanced regarding opportunities for increasing and improving physicians efforts to manage nutritional concerns and for pursuing promising future directions for better health through nutrition.