How Our Brain, Behavior and Genetics Influence Appetite and Food Choices – Free Course

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How do environmental and biological factors contribute to the regulation of body weight and our control of food intake? This topic is important for understanding the current obesity epidemic in many parts of the world. Biological factors governing food intake are well known, but environmental stimuli challenge the signals and systems in the body that work to maintain a healthy weight. The free online course “Body Weight: How Our Brain, Behavior, and Genetics Influence Appetite and Food Choices” is suitable for everyone from individuals interested in learning more about their personal health to those with a background in basic biological processes who what to expand their knowledge.

Body Weight: How Our Brain, Behavior and Genetics Influence Appetite and Food Choices – Course Content

What are the environmental and biological factors that influence our appetite and food choices, and regulate our body weight? This course explores how our body weight is influenced by:

Environmental factors
Social factors
Learned behaviors
Biological factors
Central nervous system
Hormonal influence
Genetic influence and genetic disorders
Gene-environment interaction

After the course you will understand:

The meaning of homeostasis;
The physiological factors that influence hunger and fullness;
How environmental stimuli influence eating;
How our genes interact with the environment to influence body weight

Requirements

No prior experience or qualifications are necessary.

Summary of Main Course Features

Instructor: Kimberly Kinzig – a member of the Psychological Sciences faculty at Purdue University. Her research examines the neuroendocrinology of obesity, eating disorders, and their effects on behavior.
Publisher: Purdue University
Duration: 3 weeks x 2 hours per week
Start Date: 1 October 2018