Please note: there may be some adjustments to the teaching arrangements published in the course catalogue for 2020-21. Given current circumstances related to the Covid-19 pandemic it is anticipated that some usual arrangements for teaching on campus will be modified to ensure the safety and wellbeing of students and staff on campus; further adjustments may also be necessary, or beneficial, during the course of the academic year as national requirements relating to management of the pandemic are revised.

Obesity & Weight Management MED5487

  • Academic Session: 2022-23
  • School: School of Medicine Dentistry and Nursing
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: No
  • Available to Erasmus Students: No

Short Description

Students will study aspects of obesity and weight management

Timetable

Classes meet two days a week during the second half of semester two

Requirements of Entry

Undergraduate or postgraduate degree in Nutrition, Dietetics or related subject with a substantial component in nutrition. Awarding institutions must be recognized by the University Court.

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

A 90min examination (75%)

An oral presentation (25%)

Main Assessment In: April/May

Are reassessment opportunities available for all summative assessments? No

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

Course Aims

To provide students with the skills to obtain, and critically evaluate, the scientific evidence on

overweight/obesity, its aetiology, health consequences and prevention and management.

To develop competency in patient assessment, diet design and delivery, monitoring and audit for service

improvement.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Critically review and discuss the epidemiology of obesity and overweight and the reasons for its

development.

■ Discuss, with reference to the evidence, the scale of obesity and weight gain problem in relation to health economics, the health complications of weight gain and the benefits of managed weight loss.

■ Critically review strategies for primary health care/community management of obesity: from recruitment and referral to specialist care and evaluation.

■ Discuss critically the evidence and guidelines on nutrition, physical activity, pharmaceutical and surgical management and behavioural management in the clinical management of obesity and overweight, for both adults and children.

■ Communicate and present research evidence and ideas clearly in a style appropriate to a variety of different audiences using different media.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.