The trend: Healthcare professionals are worried that social media influence promotes unhealthy fad diets, per a new Sermo survey.
Digging into the data: Almost all (90%) of the more than 1,000 global healthcare professionals surveyed expressed concern about popular diet trends on social media.
- Only 5% would recommend trendy high protein-focused diets.
- 4% say they would endorse intermittent fasting, and another 4% agree with keto diets.
- A vast majority (70%) recommend the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes lean protein, plant-based foods, and healthy fats.
Yes, but: Healthcare professionals say that it’s their responsibility to talk to patients about healthy nutrition, per Sermo. But many don't.
The main reasons doctors don’t talk to patients about nutrition:
- 38% pointed to time constraints for patient visits.
- 22% noted they lack the proper training to responsibly counsel patients about nutrition.
- Only one-third (32%) agreed they received excellent or good nutrition education in medical school.
- 74% say they only occasionally or rarely learn about nutrition through continuing medical education (CME) programs.