Advances and development of clinical nutrition in China

Since the reform and opening up, the clinical nutrition discipline in China has experienced rapid development and achieved remarkable accomplishments in many aspects. This article focuses on providing an in-depth analysis of the evolutionary path of China’s clinical nutrition discipline from 3 aspects: the gradual establishment of its disciplinary status, the development in academic, clinical care, research, and education, and the new challenges. These positive changes and persistent efforts have established a solid foundation for enhancing the level of clinical nutrition treatment and improving patient’s outcome, thereby effectively promoting the continuous progress of China’s clinical nutrition discipline. Notably, the concept of nutrition as the first-line therapy has become more and more popular, “Clinical Nutrition” has been accepted as a mandatory course for undergraduate medical students. These milestone advancements will significantly enhance the nutritional awareness of clinicians, change the traditional disease treatment model, and consequently improve the overall quality and level of medical services in China.