Podcast Episode 193: A Pediatrician’s Perspective on Food, Nutrition & Farming – Dr. Nicole Keller

Challenges & Opportunities for Educating Families about Nutrition – A Pediatrician’s Perspective

Pediatricians are faced with many challenges when it comes to educating families about food and nutrition. They have high patient loads and limited time during visits which are often packed with a multitude of questions and concerns from parents and families. In addition, there may be limited options for referring patients to dietitians – especially in rural communities – and some patients aren’t interested in visiting with a dietitian or have limited resources such as time and insurance coverage.

Tune in to this episode to learn about:

• what pediatricians are taught about nutrition during medical school
• what Nicole learned about food and farming when she met her husband, a 5^th generation family farmer
• questions and concerns about food, nutrition and farming that Nicole gets from her patients
• where Nicole gets information about nutrition to share with her patients
• what information and resources the American Academy of Pediatrics provides members
• how pediatricians and dietitians can work together
• why messages matter when educating families about nutrition
• what doctors want dietitians to know about their work
• common misperceptions about food and farming
• what farmers want dietitians and the public to know about the business and practice of farming

Our messaging matters. When we say “breast is best” parents hear that infant formula is bad. When we say “choose organic when possible” parents hear the other options are unsafe or unhealthy. We need to be careful of the messages and information we’re sharing and how they’re perceived so we don’t cause harm.”

Nicole Keller, D.O., FAAP

Dr. Nicole Keller is a Board-Certified General Pediatrician in central Illinois. She graduated from Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2009 and completed her pediatrics residency followed by a chief resident year in 2013 from Advocate Hope Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn, Illinois. Dr. Keller is in private practice in her community, working as an outpatient general pediatrician. In 2000 she married a 5th generation vegetable farmer and they live on the Keller Family Farm with their three children and grow commercial crops (field corn and soybeans) and produce for sale at their markets (sweet corn, pumpkins, apples, tomatoes, squash, zucchini and peppers).

Our medical degrees afford us great trust from our patients. We must use our influence wisely. We should stay in our lane when we are asked about things we don’t know much about. Don’t offer dietary advice you aren’t sure of if you aren’t a dietitian. Don’t offer medical advice without the patient’s doctor involved. Don’t tell farmers how to farm. We’re all experts in our own fields (pun intended) and should reach out to the experts in those areas for answers. Multidisciplinary education is so important!”