Lifestyle Learning Direct

COURSE STRUCTURE

There are nine (9) lessons in this course, as follows:

LESSON 1: UNDERSTANDING OBESITY

What is obesity, types of obesity, hyperplasia or hypertrophy of fats cells, dietary trends and the incidence of obesity, physiological, environmental and behavioural factors that determine food intake, causes of obesity (genetics, lifestyle, exercise, eating habits, water intake, changing metabolism through ageing, medical conditions and diseases, psychology), health risks of obesity, understanding weight, body composition, evaluation techniques, Body Mass Index (BMI).

LESSON 2: NUTRITION BASICS

Why we need food, Nutrient Reference Value (NRV), digestion and absorption, how we process food, roles of major digestive organs, food composition (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, etc.), fibre, fluids, the Glycaemic Index (GI), calculating energy requirements, basal metabolic rate, Recommended Daily Intake (RDI), the recommended intake of nutrients, new food pyramid, normal eating patterns, childhood obesity.

LESSON 3: DIETS - FADS, FICTION AND FACT

Popular approaches to weight loss and control, vegetarian diets, starvation, low-calorie and liquid diets, commercial low-calorie meal substitutes, blood-type diet, food combining, detox diets, low-carbohydrate diets, low-Glycaemic Index (GI) diet, sweeteners, low-fat diets, fat substitutes, fat-burning diets, supplements, guidelines for childhood weight loss.

LESSON 4: PREVENTING OBESITY

Introduction, metabolism, keeping the metabolic rate stable, making the best food choices, nutritional education, teaching healthy eating habits to children, health initiatives targeting obesity, public health information and legislative controls.

LESSON 5: TREATING OBESITY

Methods that work, assessment of clients, modifying behaviour, prescribing diets, life coaching and personal training, weight-loss hypnosis, self-help groups, health clubs, health farms and holiday retreats, a holistic approach, supplements.

LESSON 6: MODIFYING EATING BEHAVIOUR

Key stages in behaviour changes, cultural food patterns, how to make lifelong changes, assess current diet (patterns and nutritional value), plan for change, seek motivation and support from others, improving health through food, diseases linked to obesity, changing unhealthy habits.

LESSON 7: RESTRICTING CALORIE INTAKE

Understanding energy and metabolism, age and metabolism, activity and metabolism, calorie-restricted diets.

LESSON 8: MEDICAL CONDITIONS: HORMONES, DRUGS, EATING DISORDERS

Nutrition during disease, childhood diabetes, link between medication and diet, drugs and hormones prescribed for weight management, diet pills, thyroid hormone, somatropin (growth hormone), weight-loss surgery, liposuction, abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa.

LESSON 9: PLANNING A DIET

A major problem-based learning project.