FDSC40830 Nutrition & The Consumer Diet

Academic Year 2023/2024

There is a well-established consensus on what a healthy diet looks like but in reality, how do our diets really compare? With a focus on whole foods and dietary patterns, the relationship between diet and health is explored, examining key issues relevant to the modern diet. Based on findings from national surveys on food and beverage consumption and evidence-based research findings, key nutrient intakes are linked to their central role in both protecting and maintaining health but also as risk factors for ill health, arising from deficiencies, imbalances and excesses. Controversies of the modern diet and the evolving science on the major preventable chronic diseases as well as other nutrition and diet related health issues will be explored. This module will address the questions: What are consumers actually eating? How does this compare to the recommended nutrient requirements? How does this differ by age? What are the % contributions by the main food groups? Do certain food groups contribute more than others to unhealthy diets? What are the potential impacts on health status and are there particular vulnerable groups? Using case studies from the Irish and UK population, professionals will be equipped to interrogate available data and interpret it in the context of their individual roles, thereby helping to identify and target areas of opportunity to positively influence both the development and promotion of nutritious food for consumers to deliver improved health outcomes.
Completing this module will equip professionals with a comprehensive understanding of the healthfulness of the consumers’ diet and its implications for health, bringing them up to speed on the implications of newly emerging scientific evidence. This together with being equipped to source and interrogate relevant consumer consumption data and information will enable them to identify opportunities to positively influence the development and/or promotion of more nutritious foods.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the module, learners should be able to
1. Describe key current diet and nutrition related health issues of public health concern
2. Examine the evidence linking foods, nutrients and dietary patterns to the aetiology of the major diet-related diseases.
3. Source and interrogate key literature as it relates to the quantity and quality of key nutrients consumed in the diet.
4. Link food consumption data / information to its markers of diet quality and health.
5. Explore and evaluate alternative positions on controversial topics in relation to current healthy eating advice and the role of nutrients in health and disease.
6. Defend the concept that nutrition should be viewed as a quality characteristic of food.
7. Reflect on how to identify areas of opportunity in their own field of work to positively influence the development and/or promotion of more nutritious foods.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

0
Tutorial

20
Practical

5
Specified Learning Activities

50
Autonomous Student Learning

125
Total

200
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This is a 12-week fully online module in which pre-recorded learning materials will be available for self-directed independent learning. There will be directed online work such as engagement in discussion boards and 4 live one-hour online tutorials ((which will be recorded to enable flexibility). These tutorials will focus on interpreting the evidence around industry relevant/consumer related controversial topics and will develop critical analysis skills by critiquing relevant literature and debating. Students will be requested to engage in preparatory readings or activities so as to enable maximum engagement in the synchronous online tutorials and asynchronous discussion threads.

Learners will be expected course to spend approximately 200 hours workload during the Trimester which will include autonomous learning (weekly lecture materials and additional reading, revision for MCQ assessments, completion of prescribed reading materials and associated continuous assessment activities) and in addition participation in tutorials and discussion forum and associated directed preparatory work.
 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Continuous Assessment: 1. MCQ’s which will be a mixture of standard and context based questions.
2. Written activities throughout the module based on prescribed materials (eg recorded webinars , research papers).
 Throughout the Trimester n/a Other No

100

Carry forward of passed components
No
 
Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Discussions during tutorials on written assignments Written activities, end of module MCQ grade visible in Brightspace MCQ grades on completion of each quiz

Name Role
Mrs Angela Brennan Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Assoc Professor Breige McNulty Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Miss Annelie Shaw Tutor
Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
 

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