Why do public health professionals need to know about nutrition? Besides the fact that public health professionals, their families and everyone else eat, PNG’s undernutrition level, particularly among children, is among the highest in the world, and is not decreasing. Both under- and the more recently emerged overnutrition, particularly in the urban areas, give PNG our deadly Double Burden of Malnutrition, putting both affected children and adults, at long-term developmental deficits affecting cognitive development and later work productivity, mobility and even career choice, with adverse consequences for life’s endeavors and ability to reach one’s potential. However, there is incontrovertible evidence that a lifelong healthy diet plays key beneficial roles in determining optimal growth, development, and health of children and a healthy, productive life for adults.
Unfortunately, local health and development authorities and even the international community of experts who grapple with how to deal with nutritional problems to improve national development are not yet very effective. Nutrition problems are complex and the solutions elusive. Stunting has remained stagnant for three decades. Decisions made in other areas, such as trade, agriculture, education and government budget planning can also have negative consequences for the nutritional status of populations.
This course promises to take you on a journey through a life course overview of what we know about the physiological requirements and functions of the nutrients and energy found in food that determine health and disease in human populations. Topics include dietary sources, intake levels and physiological roles of the nutrients in growth, health maintenance and disease prevention throughout life, as well as choosing a diet for a healthier planet. You will also be introduced to strategies used in the field of public health nutrition, and how this field strives to improve population nutritional health by applying evidence to action. After this course, you will be empowered to apply the logic of science to manage not only your own and your family’s nutritional environment, but also to move toward a career contributing to the design of effective strategies to healthier nutrition for yourself, your family, community, nation and world.
- Teacher: Georgia Guldan