NS 2220

Popular Diets for Health

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2026-2027 Catalog.

Course Description: Nutrition-related diseases including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes are among the leading causes of death in the US and lead to significant strain on the US healthcare system. Many of these diseases, however, can be prevented, managed, and treated with diet. In a given year, almost one half of US adults report following a diet to manage weight and improve health, yet dieting outcomes are highly variable. There are countless diets that purport to lead to significant health benefits, with new diets and products emerging all the time. But, with so many different diets, and such variability in their influence on health, a clear question arises: which diet is best? This course provides a comprehensive overview of major popular diets, the underlying science supporting their influence on human health, and a comparison of which diets are likely to be most beneficial. We will discuss diets in the context of dietary patterns recommended by the US Dietary Guidelines, American Heart Association, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and debate the role of diet in the new era of GLP-1 drugs and pharmacological treatments for obesity and other nutrition-related diseases. So, low-carb or low fat? Mediterranean diet or vegan? Diet or drugs? With so many competing strategies, which can best support health?

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Learning Outcomes

• Explain the role of diet in the development, management, and treatment nutrition-related diseases.
• Describe the key components of popular diets and compare the differences between those diets.
• Evaluate the strength of the science supporting different diets for health.
• Analyze the importance of considering both energy balance and diet quality, and evaluate the extent to which different diets support both.
• Analyze the importance of considering both energy balance and diet quality, and evaluate the extent to which different diets support both.

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