Nutrition and disease - treatment and clinical aspects, 10 credits

At least grade pass for the course "Diet and health - scientific evidence, recommendations and sustainability" (4NT000) within the Master's Programme in Nutrition Science.

After completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• explain the difference between dietary guidelines aimed at a population and dietary guidelines aimed at an individual in treatment for disease and describe the type of scientific evidence on which the latter is based.
• describe the physiological mechanisms behind non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and how they relate to dietary factors.
• suggest evidence-based nutrition therapy to an individual suffering from disease.
• discuss factors that affect an individual's eating behavior (such as gender, psychosocial, cultural, economic factors and environmental factors) and how these can vary from a global perspective.
• reflect on the importance of a multidisciplinary team in the treatment of NCDs.
• reflect on ethical aspects of the treatment of diseases related to lifestyle and psychosocial factors.
• discuss how popular/alternative diets relate to existing evidence and established dietary guidelines.
• apply basic concepts in theory of science in relation to the field of nutritional science.
• suggest applications of precision nutrition in an individual case, based on scientific evidence.

The course deals with the importance of diet for individuals suffering from the global non-communicable diseases (NCDs). During the course, the different diseases are discussed considering different aspects of relevance when providing nutrition therapy to individuals, such as physiological mechanisms, psychosocial, cultural and economic factors, including global aspects. During the course, the understanding of the scientific evidence for nutrition therapy of disease is emphasised, where also basic concepts in theory of science in relation are applied.

This course consists of seminars, group work, lectures, individual assignments and discussions and providing feedback on fellow-student´s group work.

The examination consists of a group work (graded Pass/Fail) and an individual written assignment (a discussion of the group work, graded Pass with distinction/Pass/Fail). The grading criteria for all examinations are provided in the study guide or at Canvas.

In the case a student fail an assignment, it can be resubmitted a maximum of five more times. After six failed assignments, no further examination opportunities will be given for that assignment. A student who has failed two examinations for a course or part of a course, is entitled to have another examiner appointed unless special reasons speak against it.

Compulsory participation:
Assignments and seminars are compulsory. The course director assessed if and, in that case, how absence from compulsory parts can be compensated. Before the student has participated in all compulsory parts or compensated absence according with the course director's instructions, the student's results will not be registered in LADOK. Absence from a compulsory activity may result in that the student cannot compensate absence until the next time the course is given.

If there are special reasons, or need for adaptions for a student with a disability, the examiner may decide to depart from the syllabus's regulations on examination form, number of examination opportunities, possibility of complementation of or exemption from compulsory activities, etc. Content and learning outcomes as well as the level of expected skills, knowledge and abilities must not be altered, removed or lowered.

The course language is English.
A course evaluation will be conducted according to guidelines decided by the Board of Higher Education at KI. Oral evaluation will be carried out during the course.