Critical Analysis of Popular Diets and Dietary Supplements OpenCourseWare: Free Online Undergraduate Course on Nutritional Science by Johns Hopkins University

Published Jan 25, 2009

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Dozens of diets have been lauded for their effectiveness by a bevy of celebrities and self-help gurus, but how can you tell if they actually work? That's what Johns Hopkins University's free OpenCourseWare class, 'Critical Analysis of Popular Diets and Dietary Supplements,' sets out to discover. Students will learn about the medical reasons that cause obesity, how metabolism functions and methods used to evaluate the effectiveness of popular diets and diet supplements. This class would be of interest to students studying Nutrition, or to anyone who wants to learn about the science behind nutrition and dieting.

Critical Analysis of Popular Diets and Dietary Supplements: Course Specifics

Degree Level Free Audio Video Downloads
Undergraduate Yes No No Yes

Lectures/Notes Study Materials Tests/Quizzes
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Critical Analysis of Popular Diets and Dietary Supplements: Course Details

The science behind common diets and weight-loss pills is explained in 'Critical Analysis of Popular Diets and Dietary Supplements,' a free OpenCourseWare class offered by Johns Hopkins University. This class teaches students to critically analyze popular diets and weight-loss pills and decide, based on scientific evidence, which are the most effective for weight loss and long-term weight maintenance. Instructor Lawrence Cheskin hopes that upon completion of this undergraduate-level class, students will have sharp critical and analytical thinking skills, become better informed consumers and have a basic understanding of physiology, metabolism and weight loss. Specific topics covered by the downloadable lecture notes include the physiology of obesity, the science behind our drive to eat;,how digestion and the metabolism work, the role of exercise in weight loss and an analysis of diet supplements. Any students studying Nutrition or those interested in nutrition and weight loss, will find this free online class will be a useful introduction to the topic. No prior knowledge is required to take this class, although a basic understanding of human biology and anatomy could come in handy.

Materials for this OpenCourseWare include a course schedule, six downloadable lectures, an annotated bibliography and links to online resources. If you'd like to learn more, visit the nutritional sciences course page.

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