Understanding Obesity

In this course, we’ll look at the facts and misconceptions around obesity and discuss key physiological and psychological concepts around the brain’s control of appetite and body weight. We’ll consider the biological and environmental pressures that make it easy to gain weight (and hard to lose it!). Most importantly, we'll give you the opportunity to reflect on your own knowledge and assumptions around the subject. 

We deliver course materials as a mixture of videos, audio-only MOOCcasts, and a selection of short readings. There are short weekly quizzes, a peer-reviewed exercise, and discussion activities on the forum. These will help you prepare for the final project. In it, you are invited to demonstrate your evidence-informed understanding and express how you'll develop it beyond the course. 

This course involves you in:

• discussions on key physiological and psychological concepts around the brain’s control of appetite and body weight
• consideration of biological and environmental pressures  
• reflection on your own knowledge and assumptions
• the opportunity to consolidate and discuss what you learn 

This course is aimed at anyone with an interest in understanding more about obesity and how we tackle this global issue. 

Introductory: No previous knowledge required