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Course Description: Nutrition habits of children and teens are known to have an impact on their present and future health, their ability to learn and physical performance (athletics). However, many of these young people are not making the grade nutritionally. For example:
- The rate of obesity has doubled in the past decade.
- Symptoms of adult diseases (diabetes, hypertension, heart disease) are showing up in younger children and teens.
- During the important growth period of adolescence many teen diets lack the recommended amounts of key nutrients essential for optimal growth.
- According to a recent study done by the US Department of Agriculture, only 1% of children met all of the nutrition recommendations of the Food Guide Pyramid.
- Eating disorders are on the rise.
Throughout this course teachers will investigate various content areas applicable to adolescent nutrition and discuss if and how a School Wellness Policy can influence these nutrition topics. Teachers will want to obtain a copy of their school’s or school district’s wellness policy if it has one. These content areas include:
- Current concerns and health statistics relative to adolescent nutrition
- Key nutrients of concern in adolescent diets
- Sports nutrition
- Dietary supplements
- Eating disorders and body image
- The new "My Pyramid" and associated 2005 Dietary Guidelines
- Food safety
- The important role of the school environment in supporting sound nutrition.
Selected classroom resources, which engage the student and provide for experiential learning, will be highlighted for all content areas. Course participants will be required to complete weekly reading assignments, take part in online discussion (asynchronous), submit 2 short assignments, and complete a course project related to the development and implementation of a School Wellness Policy.
Meeting Place and Times: This course is taught online. Course participants login and participate at a time of day that is convenient for them. It is recommended that participants login at least 4 to 5 times per week and plan on spending 9 to 12 hours per week for 9 weeks to successfully complete this 2 credit course. While the course dates reflect an ending date of August 21st, in reality, the course content will end on Thursday, August 13th and participants will have until Friday, August 21st to turn in their final assignment.
Instructor(s): Virginia L Mermel. Dr. Mermel, PhD, CNS holds a doctorate in nutrition with a minor in exercise physiology and is a board certified human nutrition specialist with an emphasis in weight management to control chronic disease risk. She has authored college textbooks and taught college and post-graduate courses in nutrition and health risk management. Virginia participated in the 2006 American Medical Association Expert Panel on Pediatric Obesity Treatment. She has chaired the School Health Advisory Committee for Billings MT Public Schools since fall 2006.
Prerequisites: A Bachelors degree and one year of teaching experience or by permission of the instructor. A college level nutrition course is desirable.
Target Audience: Middle and high school teachers who are interested in enhancing their content and exposure to classroom resources related to adolescent nutrition.
Time Commitment: 9-12 hours per week. If you are unfamiliar with this field of study and/or method of delivery, you may require more time.
| Cost: | | | Tuition | $480 | | | MSU Fees | $6.30 | | | Total | $486.30 |
You are on your own to purchase the a text. See information and options below.
The cost of the course assumes that you are taking only online courses from Montana State University (MSU) and/or specially designated courses through MSU Extended University during the semester that the course is offered. If you are also taking regular face-to-face courses from Montana State University, other costs may apply. Montana State University charges a $3.25 per credit hour computer fee for this course. (The fee is $3.15 per credit hour during summer session 2009.) MSU also charges a $30 registration fee per student per semester. If you have not yet paid this fee, you may do so when you register for this course. To learn more, please see the University Business Services' Student Accounts Web page.
Required Books/Materials: - Choosing a Reference Textbook for HDFN524, Teaching Adolescent Nutrition
I would typically recommend that you purchase a good basic college-level nutrition textbook that you could keep on your bookshelf as a reference tool. However, a new set of Dietary Guidelines for Americans are due out in 2010 ( these guidelines are updated every 5 years). Those of us working in the filed of nutrition know that at the very least, there will be changes to the Vitamin D, sodium and omega three fatty acid intake recommendations. Thus, any book you buy will quickly become obsolete. Still, some type of reference textbook is essential. Here are some options to consider:
The textbook typically used as a reference for the HDFN524, Teaching Adolescent Nutrition class is Personal Nutrition. This book has recently been updated and is available as Personal Nutrition, 7th Edition by Marie Boyle and Sara Long, Wadsworth Publishing © 2010. The 2010 © date is a misleading publishing filed marketing scheme that is used to make a book look as up-to-date as possible. In reality, there is no way this book can contain the 2010 Dietary Guidelines as they have yet to be agreed upon.
The book is available in both an electronic ($66.49) and standard paperback ($119.00) versions. The only drawback to purchasing the e-version is that your access to the book expires after 180 days. You can however repurchase the entire book or select portions online for a lower cost. Either version of the book can be purchased directly from the publisher at:
Wadsworth Publishing.
If you buy the e-version of the book and choose not to extend your online subscription, consider purchasing a copy of
Nutrition for Dummies, 4th Edition by Carol Ann Rinzler, IDG Publishing © 2006, to use until textbooks updated with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines are available. This book provides a good basic overview of consumer nutrition topics but lacks the in-depth information found in a textbook.
If you buy the paperback version of Personal Nutrition, be on the lookout for the release of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Their publication will be announced in the national news media and the actual Guidelines in their entirety will be available online from the USDA website.
Computer Requirements: - Computer running Windows 2000 or newer or Mac OS X
or higher
- CD-ROM drive
- Internet access
This course uses a learning management system. You will learn more closer to the course start date.
For More Information: Contact Virginia Mermel at mermelca@bresnan.net.
How to Register: Register Online
Register Online
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