Learning outcomes

After studying this course, you should be able to:

  • list the six key nutrient groups and explain their role in a healthy diet
  • understand and calculate body mass index (BMI), and use such calculations to predict desirable weight ranges for individuals
  • explain the importance of a balanced diet in terms of energy intake
  • explain how genetic and environmental variables may interact to produce variability in human body weight and adiposity both within and across generations
  • apply an understanding of gene–environment interactions to possible explanations of variability in body weight and adiposity.