SHN6182 - Healthy Weight: Practical Strategies

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the scientific and social scientific basis of healthy weight.
Communicate the principles of healthy weight in a clear and concise way, both written and orally.
Critically evaluate selected healthy weight promotion policies and campaigns.
Demonstrate knowledge of and ability to use healthy weight data, collection methods and how to choose and apply suitable methods.
Apply a combination of knowledge, theories and principles of healthy weight to:
(i) identify a range of valid solutions;
(ii) reflect on the appropriateness of theory, practice and outcomes from a range of different viewpoints;
(iii) identify new perspectives in and modifications to existing knowledge.

Content:

Definitions and categories of weight. Impact of weight across the human lifecycle: mechanisms, health consequences and socio-cultural factors. Factors influencing weight control.

Diagnosis and anthropometric assessments. Principles of energy balance.

Current policy and initiatives (international, national and local). Traditional prevention and treatment approaches (Diet, Physical Activity (PA) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) & lifestyle education).

Diet: Healthy eating strategies, key nutrients and dietary sources of energy, energy requirements through the life cycle, dietary assessment/monitoring. Nutritional counselling.

PA: understanding of Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and physical activity level (PAL), PA and appetite regulation, PA assessment/monitoring.

Future directions: social marketing of food, individual choice versus the built environment.

Learning and Teaching Information:

Delivery will consist of lectures accompanied by a ‘practical’ seminar session. Additional seminars are for assessment support. There are hours allocated to e-moderated e-tivities with formative feedback. However it is anticipated that these online socialisation activities will lead to students using the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) independently for peer assisted learning. Individual tutorials are available for assessment support.

Lectures
Contact hours: 30
Intended Group size: 30

Seminar
Contact hours: 20
Intended Group size: 30

VLE (e-tivities)
Contact hours: 8
Intended group size: 30

One to one Tutorials
Contact hours: 1

Guided independent study
Hours:142

Further details relating to assessment
Students will base their abstract and subsequent poster presentation on criteria for a discipline relevant conference highlighting the currency of the module content and relevance of the assessment approach.

Assessment:

001 Poster presentation 1 x 20 minutes mid semester 2 30%
002 Literature review 1 x 3000 words end of semester 2 70%


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