Spring Only
Course Description
3 credits. The course is an online junior/senior colloquium that introduces assessment of obesity, chronic disease and health behavior interventions to improve health at both individual and environmental levels. The course will introduce the multifactorial aspects of obesity, maintenance of a healthy weight, the relationship of weight status to chronic disease prevention, and provide an overview of obesity/overweight, chronic disease, and their relationship to public health practice. Traditional and novel nutrition and behavior theories will also be discussed. This course is open to junior and senior undergraduate students enrolled in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. Students from other disciplines may enroll with permission from the instructor. Enrollment maximum is 20 students.
Course Objectives
- Define overweight and obesity in children and adults.
- Describe the prevalence and trends in child/adult obesity in the U.S. and globally.
- Identify the medical, psychosocial, and economic costs associated with obesity and chronic disease in children and adults
- Compare various chronic disease prevention and treatment approaches at the individual and community levels.
- Identify policy/regulatory and environmental approaches to obesity and chronic disease management.
- Understand the psychological and social factors related to the causes and management of chronic disease.
- Explain the behavioral strategies associated with intervention for overweight, obesity, and chronic disease.
- Understand the role of pharmacological and surgical interventions of obesity and chronic disease.
- Describe how factors such as sex, age, race/ethnicity, cognitive/developmental status, and socioeconomic status are related to prevalence of obesity and chronic disease.
- Describe neighborhood characteristics that may promote adverse health outcomes.
- Understand the relationship between obesity and chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetes.
- Identify basic areas of applied research on community interventions in obesity prevention and management.
Required Text
Kazaks and Stern, Nutrition and Obesity: Assessment, Management and Prevention, Jones and Bartlett Learning, LLC, an Ascend Learning Company, 2013. Text is available at the campus bookstore and is on reserve at the Chang Library on the G. H. Cook Campus.
Required Format for Written Assignments
APA (American Psychological Association) style found in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association at apastyle.org.
Assignment Grading
| Assignments | Possible Points |
|---|---|
| Threaded Discussions (15 pts x 9 TD's) |
135 |
| Diet/Physical Activity Journaling Assignment and TD | 40 |
| Community Project | 125 |
| Test One | 100 |
| Test Two | 100 |
| TOTAL | 500 |
Course Grading Scale
Based on 500 points.
| Percent | Points | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 90–100 | 450–500 | A |
| 87–89 | 435–449 | B+ |
| 80–86 | 400–434 | B |
| 77–79 | 385–399 | C+ |
| 70–76 | 350–384 | C |
| 60–69 | 300–349 | D |
| <60 | <299 | F |
Course Outline, Readings and Assignments
Please note: specifics of all assignments are found online in eCollege.
Week 1
- Introduction and overview of course; Definition of Obesity; Current Trends and Statistics
- Text Readings: Chapter 1
- CDC PowerPoint presentation
- Student introductions, participate in threaded discussion
- Watch Introductory Video & Complete Dummy Quiz
Week 2
- Assessment of Body Weight and Body Composition
- Causes of Obesity
- Text Readings: Chapters 2 and 3
- Other readings as assigned
- Participate in threaded discussion
Week 3
- Intro to Consequences of Obesity
- Text Readings: Chapter 4
- Other readings: as assigned
- Participate in threaded discussion
Week 4
- Diet and Physical Activity Interventions for Obesity Prevention/Management
- Text Readings: Chapters 5 and 6
- Other readings as assigned
- Diet or Physical Activity Journaling Assignment and threaded discussion
Week 5
- Dietary Interventions for Obesity Prevention/Management
- Readings as assigned
- Participate in small group threaded discussions
Week 6
- Community Interventions in Obesity Prevention/Management
- Text Readings: Chapter 10
- Other readings as assigned
- Participate in threaded discussion
Week 7
- Dietary Interventions for Obesity Prevention/Management
- Readings as assigned
- Participate in small group threaded discussions
- SUBMIT IDEA FOR COMMUNITY PROJECT
Week 8
- Interventions in Childhood Obesity Prevention
- Readings as assigned
- TEST ONE on material from weeks 1–7
Week 9
- Interventions in Childhood Obesity Prevention
- Readings as assigned
- Participate in small group threaded discussions
Week 10
- Diabetes and its Relationship to Obesity
- Readings as assigned
- Participate in small threaded discussion
Week 11
- Cancer and its Relationship to Obesity
- Readings as assigned
- Participate in threaded discussion
Week 12
- Obesity in Special Populations- Intellectual/Developmental/Racial/Ethnic/Socioeconomic Considerations
- Readings as assigned
Week 13
- Community Project and Summary PowerPoint Due
- Participate in small group threaded discussions
Week 14
- Obesity Interventions Continued (Pharmacologic Agents, Surgical Options and Behavioral Aspects of Weight Management)
- Text Readings: Chapters 7, 8 and 9
- Other readings as assigned
Week 15
- Future of Obesity Trends and Research
- Text Readings: Chapter 11
- TEST TWO on material from weeks 8–15