4.6
stars
437 ratings

Dr John Menzies

54,640 already enrolled

Offered By

Understanding Obesity

The University of Edinburgh

About this Course

27,766 recent views

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

Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Spanish, Romanian

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

Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Spanish, Romanian

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.61/5 (82 Ratings)

Dr John Menzies

University of Edinburgh

54,640 Learners

1 Course

Offered by

The University of Edinburgh

Since 1583 the University of Edinburgh has been at the forefront of innovation in education and research. Ranked 20th in the world, we have been an international leader in online learning since our first online degree launched in 2005. As part of our commitment to making learning accessible to all, we offer free courses in a variety of subjects including philosophy, health, animal welfare and STEM courses, all designed to build the skills of the global community.

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating97%(3,960 ratings)

Week

Week 1

1 hour to complete

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

This week we'll discuss what we know about diet, appetite and obesity. But, and perhaps more importantly, we'll point out the gaps in our knowledge.

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

This week we discuss some aspects of the psychology of appetite control and learn how portion sizes and food insecurity might affect our behaviours.

1 hour to complete

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

Week

Week 4

2 hours to complete

Consolidation and Discussion

This week online material will be posted ad hoc as we consolidate and discuss what we've already learned. This week's main tasks are a quiz on the scientific method and the peer-reviewed assignment. Please note you can attempt the Week 4 quiz only once.

2 hours to complete

Reviews

4.6

116 reviews

5 stars
70.72%
4 stars
21.39%
3 stars
5.40%
2 stars
0.45%
1 star
2.02%

TOP REVIEWS FROM UNDERSTANDING OBESITY

by MMAug 20, 2017

Updated introduction and understanding of this popular topic in health. Worth to take time to learn not only for health promoter but those want to help friends and family members on this.

by HTAug 26, 2021

Finally I have an opportunity to learn more about obesity, now I can understand it a bit more but this is a nice base. I hope in the future will have some other course for advance.

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.

by ADAug 18, 2017

Very well addressed from different aspects. Helped forming a solid foundation to address the obesity problem as well as to make good food choices with portion control.

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, Coursera provides financial aid to learners who cannot afford the fee. Apply for it by clicking on the Financial Aid link beneath the "Enroll" button on the left. You’ll be prompted to complete an application and will be notified if you are approved. Learn more.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

Understanding Obesity

Understanding Obesity

About this Course