Americans are eating too little of the right things and too much of the wrong things -- and it's time for their doctors to do something about it, according to the president of the American Medical Association (AMA).

In a recent post on the AMA blog, On the Road With Dr. Carmel, Peter Carmel, MD, urges his colleagues to begin regular conversations with their patients about healthy eating.

Carmel notes that chronic diseases claim 1.7 million lives a year and cost hundreds of billions of dollars.

"One key element in preventing and managing these health challenges is healthy eating—something few Americans practice," writes Carmel. "The CDC reports that only one-third of adults eat fruit at least twice a day, and scarcely more than one-quarter eat vegetables three or more times a day. At the same time, nine of 10 Americans consume too much sodium each day, many of them eating twice the daily recommended limits."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) "plate" icon -- which replaced the food pyramid last year -- can be a useful reminder about recommendation proportions of food categories to eat at mealtimes. The USDA resources include:

•Tips on buying and preparing food.
•Daily food plans for adults, children and pregnant women.
•Information on reading food product labels.

The AMA has released a new online training module to help physicians counsel their patients on healthy eating habits using the ChooseMyPlate.gov resources. The association also offers a Healthier Life Steps™ program to help physicians help patients make lifestyle improvements, such as engaging in physical activity for themselves and their children.

Americans are eating too little of the right things and too much of the wrong things -- and it's time for their doctors to do something about it, according to the president of the American Medical Association (AMA).

In a recent post on the AMA blog, On the Road With Dr. Carmel, Peter Carmel, MD, urges his colleagues to begin regular conversations with their patients about healthy eating.

Carmel notes that chronic diseases claim 1.7 million lives a year and cost hundreds of billions of dollars.

"One key element in preventing and managing these health challenges is healthy eating—something few Americans practice," writes Carmel. "The CDC reports that only one-third of adults eat fruit at least twice a day, and scarcely more than one-quarter eat vegetables three or more times a day. At the same time, nine of 10 Americans consume too much sodium each day, many of them eating twice the daily recommended limits."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) "plate" icon -- which replaced the food pyramid last year -- can be a useful reminder about recommendation proportions of food categories to eat at mealtimes. The USDA resources include:

•Tips on buying and preparing food.
•Daily food plans for adults, children and pregnant women.
•Information on reading food product labels.

The AMA has released a new online training module to help physicians counsel their patients on healthy eating habits using the ChooseMyPlate.gov resources. The association also offers a Healthier Life Steps™ program to help physicians help patients make lifestyle improvements, such as engaging in physical activity for themselves and their children.