Bringing Food Back into Medicine: How PAN is Transforming Healthcare Through Nutrition
Good nutrition is one of the most powerful yet underused tools in medicine. In a recent interview with FE Healthcare, our President Kerstin Plehwe spoke with Consulting Editor Shahid Akhter about why food must reclaim its place in clinical care and how doctors can be equipped to lead this change.
Kerstin highlighted the urgent need for stronger nutrition training in medical education, noting that most doctors still graduate with little preparation to address diet in practice. Yet poor nutrition is now the leading cause of death worldwide, making food a critical lever in both prevention and treatment.
Photo by Vitalii Pavlyshynets / Unsplash
She explained how PAN works to close this gap through accredited training for healthcare professionals, hospital food reform, and innovative initiatives such as Culinary Medicine Kitchens and the PANCO Community Platform. By supporting doctors with practical tools and bringing together educators, policymakers, and health leaders, PAN is ensuring that nutrition becomes a standard part of everyday care.
“As chronic diseases continue to rise and health systems come under pressure, food will be increasingly recognised as one of the most cost-effective tools in medicine,” Kerstin said.
FE Healthcare is Financial Express’s dedicated platform covering India’s fast-evolving healthcare and life sciences sector. It provides news, analysis, and insights for healthcare leaders, policymakers, hospital administrators, medtech innovators, pharmaceutical executives, and digital health entrepreneurs.