This program is aimed at students wishing to acquire knowledge in nutrition, lifestyle and wellbeing with a key emphasis on sustainable diet.

Title: Lifestyle, Nutrition and Health during lifespan

Provider: University of Pavia, Prof. Hellas Cena

Date: Second Semester Academic Year 2021-2022

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PROGRAM

L1: Lifestyle, nutrition and health to prevent Non-Communicable Diseases – Prof Ivana Kolcic, 01/04/2022, 11.00 a.m. (1h)

L2: Sustainable healthy dietary patterns; Dr Leila Itani, 08/04/2022, 11:00 a.m. (1h)

L3: Nutrition and lifestyle in childhood; Dr Ilaria di Napoli, 15/04/2022, 11:00 a.m. (1h)

L4: Obesity; Excessive weight gain: Symptoms, Signs, Causes & Treatment – Dr Matteo Manuelli, 22/04/2022 11:00 a.m. (1h)

L5: Eating behaviours and disturbances- Prof Hellas Cena, 29/04/2022, 11:00 a.m. (1h)

L6: Lifestyle and healthy dietary patterns in young adults: the HOLISTic project – Dr Rachele De Giuseppe 06/05/2022, 11:00 a.m. (1h)

L7: Nutrition to prevent cancer – Dr Salvatore Artale, 13/05/2022, 11:00 a.m. (1h)

L8: Healthy ageing: the Food NET project – Dr Alessandra Vincenti ,20/05/2022, 11:00 a.m. (1h)

ZOOM link to attend the lectures available here. (-ID: 844 3437 5960, Passcode: 331534)

KIRO Course page available here.

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Description of the course:

Investments to improve nutrition and health, focusing on increasing nutritional knowledge and raising awareness of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, are crucial. Today, lifestyle habits, including the interactions between nutrition and health, as parts of the ageing process, are extensively studied from a scientific and clinical perspective; eating habits and eating behaviours are recognized as important modifiable factors that can help achieve and maintain health throughout life. Epidemiological evidence suggests that optimal nutrition plays a beneficial role in healthy ageing and age-related disorders, also called non-communicable diseases, including cardiometabolic, neurodegenerative and cancer diseases.

Although “lifestyle” can be defined as a “way of life”, this is an umbrella term that encompasses many different concepts, such as how an individual life works, eats, moves, has fun, sleeps and relaxes, shaped not only by personal habits but also by broader cultural, social, political and economic factors. Furthermore, the media continues to convey minor and uncertain issues in lifestyle science, creating confusion and diverting public attention from key challenges, major health problems and the increased burden of disease.

Unfortunately, even college health sciences curricula are lagging behind in teaching students about nutrition, physical activity, and stress management. For example, human nutrition training should be part of several science/health degree programs, with specific training programs based on different professional needs. In addition, students should be educated on food systems and the sustainability of different food patterns, emphasizing the quality and sustainability of food, which are essential for both the health of the planet and human health.

Therefore, because of all the aforementioned reasons, this program is aimed at students wishing to acquire knowledge in nutrition, lifestyle and well-being with a key emphasis on sustainable diet. For this purpose, the program has been divided into 8 modules as follow:

1. Lifestyle, nutrition and health to prevent Non-Communicable Diseases;
2. Sustainable healthy dietary patterns;
3. Nutrition and lifestyle in childhood;
4. Obesity; Excessive weight gain: Symptoms, Signs, Causes & Treatment;
5. Eating behaviors and disturbances;
6. Lifestyle and healthy dietary patterns in young adults: the HOLISTic project;
7. Nutrition to prevent cancer;
8. Healthy ageing: the Food NET project.

Learning outcomes:

1. Basic knowledge of the link between lifestyle and nutrition with health and well-being;
2. Inter generational link of eating habits and behaviors and health and disease;
3. Sustainable healthy dietary patterns for prevention of Non Communicable Diseases

How: in streaming on line

Credits: 1 (8 hours)

Time-period: Second semester Academic Year 2021-2022

Any prerequisite: This program is designed for students with basics of Physiology and biochemistry (high school level is fine as far as these subjects were taught). The attendance to the Introductory Class is not compulsory but highly recommended.

Learning resources: slides, scientific literature and topic specific videos

Type of assessment: Multiple-choice questionnaire

Quality assurance: University of Pavia

Integration/stackability: This course could include or be spread throughout both partners of our research projects partners (e.g. University of Split, Croatia; Beirut Arab University, Lebanon; University of Wroclaw, Poland; University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Spain; Koç University, Turkey) and partners of the multidisciplinary centre dedicated to food research and innovation actions (Best4Food; https://bestforfood.unimib.it/?lang=it).