Nutrition and Public Health

Poor nutrition is a leading cause of illness. It is linked not only with increased risk of malnutrition, stunting and immune disease, but also with obesity, diabetes, some types of cancer and heart disease as well as broader impacts including higher health care costs and decreased productivity. Food security is defined when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. In order to be involved in public health and nutrition problems there is a need to understand the characteristics of a healthy nutrition, the way it can be achieved, nutritional assessment and the epidemiology of public health nutrition. In the broader view of public health, it is important to understand different cultures foods and eating habits, how to aim the special needs of different places and the proper tools to investigate them.

The one-week, intense course will present the nutritional aspects of public health challenges that occur throughout life in different settings. It will introduce major methods and tools to assess, plan, and implement nutritional interventions at personal, people-centered care, as well as at household, community, national, and global levels. The significant role of food and nutrition in human development, health, and disease prevention will be highlighted.