Diet, Nutrition and Health

Overview

This module examines the critical connections between dietary intake, nutritional science, and human health. You will explore the foundational principles of nutritional epidemiology and the influence of diet within broader lifestyle contexts. A core focus is placed on understanding the role of nutrition in both health promotion and disease pathogenesis. This includes studying diet’s relationship to metabolic disorders—such as obesity, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome—and its impact on major diseases including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and infectious diseases. The integrative role of physical activity in a holistic nutritional framework will also be considered.

Learning Objectives

1. Explain the foundational principles of nutritional epidemiology and their role in establishing diet-disease relationships.
2. Evaluate the influence of diet and specific nutrients within the broader context of lifestyle for health promotion.
3. Analyse the role of nutrition in the pathogenesis and prevention of specific conditions, including metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
4. Assess the nutritional considerations and health impacts of different dietary patterns.
5. Integrate the role of physical activity with dietary principles for holistic health management.

Skills

1) Analytical and critical thinking skills (deconstruct complex public health issues from lecture and practical).
2) Practical and applied knowledge skills (Information retrieval, data analysis and interpretation from practical reports)
3) Written communication (practical reports and examination).
4) Interpersonal and teamwork (practical).
5) Knowledge integration and communication (Communicate complex nutritional concepts related to diet-disease relationships, synthesise information from multiple topics in practical reports and written examination).

Assessment