The science of nutrition has long been entrapped in reductionist interpretation of details, a source of great confusion. However, if nutrition is defined as the integration of countless nutrient factors, metabolic reactions and outcomes, biologically orchestrated as in symphony, its relevance for personal and public health would be less confusing and more productive.

PURPOSE:
Little is known about the factors that influence housestaff attitudes toward pharmaceutical industry promotions or, how such attitudes correlate with physician behaviors. We studied these attitudes and practices among internal medicine housestaff.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS:
Confidential surveys about attitudes and behaviors toward industry gifts were distributed to 1st- and 2nd-year residents at a university-based internal medicine residency program.

The title of this presentation is derived from a national bestseller that defines the moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, "tips," and becomes widely disseminated. Three key tipping-point factors are discussed in the context of medical nutrition education. The Law of Few has to do with the essentiality of role models in directing educational curricula and clinical programs. The Stickiness Factor describes the quality and the content of the message that enable the information to have prolonged meaning.

More than one-third of adult Americans are obese. A major portion of the diseases that cause the highest morbidity and mortality, eg, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke, and hypertension, can be attributed to diet. Yet, despite the demand for more nutrition education, few medical schools have an adequate nutrition curriculum. Many medical schools are reducing the number of lecture hours in favor of problem-based tutorial discussions, so an addition of another mandatory lecture course is not likely.