4.6
stars
616 ratings

Dr John Menzies

68,275 already enrolled

Offered By

Understanding Obesity

The University of Edinburgh

About this Course

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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.

The course features Citizen Science projects. We'll collect data from you (anonymously, of course) and use it to drive participant-led discussions of controversial ideas. In this way, we hope to explore ideas around diet and obesity.  These projects also give a taste of how scientific evidence is collected and interpreted by scientists, and give some indication how much there still is to discover and understand.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 6 hours to complete

English

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Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 6 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.64/5 (137 Ratings)

Dr John Menzies

University of Edinburgh

68,275 Learners

1 Course

Offered by

The University of Edinburgh

Since 1583 the University of Edinburgh has been influencing the world, from Nobel laureates and Olympic champions to space explorers and prime ministers. As a world-leading, research-intensive university, we are here to address tomorrow's greatest challenges. We do so with a values-led approach to teaching, research and innovation, and through the strength of our relationships - both locally and globally.

Ranked in the top 50 universities in the world, the University of Edinburgh has been a leader in digital education since the earliest days of online learning. Embracing the technological and pedagogical opportunities of our digital age, the University provides an outstanding online distance learning experience as part of our commitment to making learning accessible to all. We offer free short online courses in a variety of subjects, all designed to build the skills of the global community, as well as degree-level education through our online masters programmes. Visit our website to browse our catalogue of online courses, and join our global network of 4 million learners to upskill and gain academic accreditation to boost your career. https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/online-learning

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating97%(5,489 ratings)

Week

Week 1

1 hour to complete

Week 1: What we know, and how we know it.

1 hour to complete

4 videos (Total 30 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz

Week

Week 2

2 hours to complete

Physiology and Stress

This week we discuss some aspects of the physiology of obesity and learn how so-called "food addiction", stress and early-life experience can affect our eating choices.

2 hours to complete

2 videos (Total 17 min), 3 readings, 2 quizzes

Week

Week 3

1 hour to complete

Psychology and Behaviour

1 hour to complete

2 videos (Total 20 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz

Week

Week 4

2 hours to complete

Consolidation and Discussion

2 hours to complete

Reviews

4.6

159 reviews

5 stars
71.52%
4 stars
21.35%
3 stars
5.17%
2 stars
0.32%
1 star
1.61%

TOP REVIEWS FROM UNDERSTANDING OBESITY

by HAApr 25, 2020

enjoyed learning about obesity and learning to identify facts vs assumptions. I hope to help support people around me who have obesity issue.

by DDAug 14, 2022

It was a fanitastic ground-level course in understanding some of the psychology related to obesity. I enjoyed it!

by VSDec 25, 2017

Helped me a lot in understanding not just physiological but psychological aspects too.

by DAApr 26, 2021

Enjoyed every minute of this learning experience. Appreciate the layout of the course, content, relevance to my work, and the global needs of the current day! Thank you.

View all reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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Understanding Obesity

Understanding Obesity

About this Course