HLTH SC 3200 - Life Span Nutrition

This course investigates how nutrition requirements and challenges change throughout the human lifecycle and how alteration in nutritional requirements impact on human health. The course will begin by investigating the influence of nutrition prior to and during conception. Students will then be taught about the importance of good maternal nutrition during pregnancy and lactation and the impact of poor nutritional balance on fetal and infant development and maternal health. The course will cover the assessment of normal growth and body development during childhood and adolescence and will conclude with a full review of current literature and research on nutrient needs and factors affecting the nutritional status of adults and the elderly. The section on adult nutrition aims to address the role of nutrition in causing and preventing degenerative diseases and the nutritional, physiological, metabolic and sociological determinants of obesity. On completion of the course students will be able to critically assess nutritional requirements and nutritional health in accordance with ontogenic status. In addition they will have the knowledge both to develop and critique nutritional interventions designed to improve human health and well-being at specific age associated time points.