PU5543: NUTRITION AND HEALTH THROUGH THE LIFE STAGES (2017-2018)

This course will provide a detailed knowledge of the relationships between diet, human development, health, and disease. Topics covered include diet and nutrition across the life course, integration and adaptability of different metabolic pathways e.g. starvation, exercise, and the role of diet in the development of diseases including cancer and cardiovascular disease. During the course you will also develop the skills required to select and critically appraise scientific evidence. 

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

More Information about Week Numbers

Social Media Presentation (30%); Research Data Presentation (15%); 2 Hour Examination (55%)

Resit: 30 minute oral examination conducted via video conference / skype

There are no assessments for this course.

Feedback on all assessments will be provided with 14 days of submission for all assignments and in many cases will be instantaneous. Feedback will come in various forms including detailed information about correct answers for quiz responses where students have been unsuccessful in providing the correct answer.  For more extensive pieces feedback will take the form of either written or audio recorded feedback and will always provide information on areas that the students needs to focus on to improve their understanding

• By the end of the course you should have an understanding of the following:

  1. The relationship between nutrition in health and disease, human development and consequences of an unbalanced diet
  2. The integration and adaptability of different metabolic pathways in response to environmental stimuli including starvation and exercise
  3. Scientific basis of the safety and health promoting properties of nutrients and non-nutrient components of food, based on knowledge of the metabolic effects of nutrients, anti-nutrients, toxicants, additives, pharmacologically active agents (drugs); nutrient-nutrient interactions, nutrient-gene interactions, ‘nutri-ceuticals’, functional foods, and any other metabolically active constituents of foods and the diet
  4. Nature of common conditions that require dietary manipulation or can affect physical activity, such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cancer etc
  5. How nutritional needs change with age, gender, physical activity, lifestyle etc
  6. The role of religious and cultural beliefs and practices that impact on food, nutrition and health
  7. Theories and application of methods of improving health, behaviour and change
  8. Food commodities (staple foods, main sources of key nutrients, novel foods etc) within UK and/or internationally  
  9. Ability to design/formulate a diet to meet a specification appropriate for a stated situation for an individual or group of humans.
  10. How to prepare, process, interpret and present data, related to nutritional epidemiology