Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to discuss the role of nutrition in maintaining good health and in providing supportive therapy for patients with specific diseases, provide information about nutrients and nutritional standards, describe a healthy diet and lifestyle and the role of weight control, and discuss dietary risks linked to diseases and the role of enteral and parenteral nutrition in the treatment of seriously ill patients.
Who Should Take This Course
Sales representatives, managers, and others who interact with dietitians, diabetes educators, oncologists, primary care physicians, obstetricians, specialists in geriatric medicine, and other healthcare providers who pay particular attention to the nutritional status of their patients, and those who are interested in learning more about nutrition and its role in health and disease.
Career Applications/Benefit
Despite the increasing wealth of nutritional information, there are still many conflicting theories concerning the connections between nutrition, health, and disease. Nevertheless, the link between nutrition and disease is well established. As a result, the role of good nutrition in preventing many chronic diseases is recognized in medicine. While physicians have traditionally focused almost exclusively on curing diseases, today they, along with other healthcare professionals, are trying to find ways to prevent diseases through proper nutrition. Also, it is increasingly clear that nutritional support is vital in the optimal care of many seriously ill patients. In diseases such as cancer and AIDS, and in patients who have suffered traumatic injury, an emphasis on excellent nutrition and nutritional supplementation may make an enormous difference in length and quality of life. This course will benefit healthcare representatives and others by providing them with a strong background in the science of nutrition. Given the increasing impact of nutrition in medicine, it is vital to have a comprehensive knowledge of this important subject. With this knowledge, they will be able to better discuss any nutritional issues that may arise in the course of their interactions with healthcare professionals.
Chapter Content
Chapter One: Nutrients and Nutritional Standards
- Functions of Nutrients in the Body
- Nutrient Standards and Food Guides
- Nutritional Requirements for Each Stage in Life
Chapter Two: Healthy Diet and Lifestyle
- The Elements of a Healthy Diet
- Dietary Components that Should be Limited
- Obesity, Exercise, and Weight Control
Chapter Three: Nutrition and Disease
- Diseases of Malnutrition
- Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes
- Cancer Risk
- Osteoporosis
- Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases
- Renal Disease
- Migraine Headaches
Chapter Four: The Role of Nutrition in Severely Ill Patients
- Nutrition Assessment
- Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition
- Trauma
- Patients with Cancer
- Patients with AIDS