Nutrition and Disease

Offered By: Wageningen University via edX

Course Description

Overview

Worldwide people are living increasingly longer. According to the World Health Organization, the average life expectancy worldwide is 71.4 years, based on data of 2015. For high-income countries, this is even higher at 80-87 years.

The number of people suffering from cancer, heart disease and diabetes is increasing. In this Professional Certificate Program, you will learn about the influence of nutrition on these diseases. We will discuss how our diet determines our health and how the need for healthy nutrition is greater than ever. You will learn what a healthy diet includes and how it affects overall health and disease. Through a multidisciplinary approach, you will also gain insights that allow you to determine the value of scientific research on nutrition and disease and how to make conscious choices.

This program is especially valuable for professionals from various fields related to nutrition, cancer, cardiovascular disease and/or diabetes (e.g. nutritionists, epidemiologists, health promoters, medicine students, physicians, health policy makers, nutrition educators, biologists, food scientists). The courses are intended for those who need a refresher in the topic or are considering pursuing research in the field. You will acquire solid academic knowledge that will allow for better communication with patients, the public and other professionals. This program is not intended for patients seeking treatment guidance.

Syllabus

Courses under this program:
Course 1: Nutrition and Cancer

Cancer has overtaken cardiovascular disease (CVD) as the leading cause of death in many parts of the world. It causes one in eight deaths worldwide. Global trends show that the majority of all cancer deaths occur in the low- and middle-income countries. Yet, cancer can be partly prevented and many of these deaths can be avoided.

Discover the latest insights on the role of diet, nutrition and lifestyle in the prevention, occurrence and progression of cancer in the open and online course Nutrition and Cancer.

Course 2: Nutrition, Heart Disease and Diabetes

Discover the latest insights on the importance of nutrition and lifestyle in the development and treatment of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus in the online open course Nutrition, Heart disease and Diabetes.

You will learn about current progress in research on diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other cardiometabolic disorders and you will discover how these cardiometabolic diseases can be prevented in individuals and populations through lifestyle and dietary modifications.

Courses

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5 weeks, 6-8 hours a week, 6-8 hours a week
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Can cancer risk be reduced through a healthy diet or lifestyle? Many studies have been conducted on the role of nutrition and physical activity in cancer prevention. This has resulted in recommendations for cancer prevention. Far less research is conducted on nutrition and cancer progression, but the evidence is increasing that a healthy diet may also play a beneficial role for cancer survivors. Join this online course and learn more about the role of nutrition in the occurrence and progression of cancer. You will learn how nutrition is involved in cancer occurrence, cancer treatment, and progression. And you will discover what the evidence-base is for dietary guidelines.

This online course focuses on a wide range of dietary exposures (including vegetables, meat, dietary supplements, alcohol) and lifestyle factors (including body composition and physical activity) in relation to the occurrence and progression of the most common types of cancer, such as large bowel cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and lung cancer.

For whom?

Dieticians and physicians often get questions from cancer patients about what they can do themselves to help their recovery process. After completing the course you will have gained a solid scientific basis to better weigh and interpret all the information available on nutrition and cancer and to take care of your own health and/or that of your patients.

This online course is especially valuable for professionals (in training) from various fields related to nutrition or cancer (e.g. nutritionists, epidemiologists, health policy makers, physicians, caregivers, nutrition educators, biologists and food scientists).

This course, is part of theNutrition and Disease Professional Certificate Program of Wageningen University & Research. Did you already complete Nutrition, Heart Disease and Diabetes? That is the other course in this Professional Certificate Program.
431 reviews
5 weeks, 6-8 hours a week, 6-8 hours a week
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Learn about the role of nutrition in relation to diseases of the circulatory system and diabetes, which are major causes of death worldwide. You'll learn about the etiology of heart attacks, type 2 diabetes, stroke, other forms of cardiovascular diseases and how often these occur worldwide. You will learn about biological modifiable risk factors, such as blood pressure, blood cholesterol and obesity, and how they impact these diseases in a different way. After completing this course you will also have gained adeeper insight in underlying pathophysiological mechanisms, such as insulin resistance, and the role of (epi)genetic factors.

Dieticians and doctors often get questions from their patients on what they can do to improve their health. In this course,part of the Professional Certificate Program Nutrition and Disease, you will learn about the interaction between nutrients, diets and cardiometabolic disease (heart disease and diabetes).

For whom?

The MOOC Nutrition and Disease: Nutrition, Heart Disease and Diabetes is especially valuable for professionals (in training) from various disciplines related to nutrition and health, e.g. nutritionists, epidemiologists, public health workers, physicians, health care professionals, health policy makers, nutrition educators, biologists, and food scientists.

This course, is part of theNutrition and Disease Professional Certificate Program of Wageningen University & Research. Did you already complete Nutrition and Cancer? That is the other course in this Professional Certificate Program.

Taught by

Fränzel van Duijnhoven, Dieuwertje Kok, Marianne Geleijnse, Leanne Küpers, Dr. Marco Mensink and Ellen Kampman