HLTH 644 Diabetes, Obesity and Eating Disorders

This course examines the societal, family and psychological influences on eating behaviors, their contribution to the development of Type 2 Diabetes, Anorexia and Bulimia and a review of treatment options.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog

Course Guide

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*The information contained in our Course Guides is provided as a sample. Specific course curriculum and requirements for each course are provided by individual instructors each semester. Students should not use Course Guides to find and complete assignments, class prerequisites, or order books.


Diabetes, obesity, and eating disorders are at epidemic proportions in the U.S. and around the world. The epidemiologies of the three are tightly interwoven. Understanding these conditions and the interfaces between them is central to planning interventions and public health policies.


Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (2)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will complete 2 discussion assignments in this course. Each of the 2 discussion assignments will consist of a thread of at 400-450 words and at least 2 replies. The replies must consist of at least 150 words. For each thread, the student must support his/her assertions with a minimum of 2 peer-reviewed articles in AMA format. Each reply must incorporate at least 1 peer-reviewed article in AMA format. It is expected that the information the student presents in the initial post and reply posts is evidence-based and reflects up-to-date research. Acceptable sources include peer-reviewed research and review articles and the course textbook (where applicable). Limited use of professional websites such as the CDC, WHO, or other government organizations is accepted for presenting facts and statistics. (CLO: A, B, E)

Camp Assessment Assignment

The student will perform preliminary research on the value of summer camps for weight loss and write a 1-2 page summary of their findings. The student will then be assigned a camp website related to the management and/or prevention of childhood overweight/obesity and will assume the role of a public health official tasked with evaluating the camp’s overall effectiveness. The student will use the Camp Assessment Tool to evaluate the summer camp and develop meaningful improvement recommendations. The submission must include a reference section with the summarized article cited in AMA format. (CLO: C, D)

Program Evaluation Assignments (4)

Program Evaluation: Part 1 – Assessment Tool Physical Section Assignment

The student will develop an assessment tool to evaluate a real weight loss program. This section of the assessment tool focuses on physical and intellectual aspects of successful weight loss. (CLO: A, D)

Program Evaluation: Part 2 – Assessment Tool Psychological Section Assignment

The student will continue developing an assessment tool to evaluate a real weight loss program. This section of the assessment tool focuses on psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of successful weight loss. (CLO: A, D)

Program Evaluation: Part 3 – Assessment Assignment

Using the weight loss assessment tool from Parts 1-2 of the program evaluation, the student will gather information from a weight loss program to evaluate the program’s overall effectiveness and identify actionable improvement recommendations. (CLO: A, C, E)

Program Evaluation: Part 4 – PowerPoint Assignment

The student will analyze the information from their program assessment and present the results using PowerPoint. The presentation must include quantitative and qualitative aspects of the weight loss program and provide details regarding program strengths, weaknesses, and improvement recommendations. (CLO: C, D)

Gluttony and Eating Disorders Assignment

The student will write a paper of 2.5 to 5 pages summarizing their views on gluttony and comparing their views to those held by another individual. They will also compare and contrast gluttony with eating disorders and explain how a Biblical worldview should foster compassionate interactions with people who struggle with gluttony or an eating disorder. At least 2 scholarly references must be used in this assignment. (CLO: A)

Quizzes (9)

There will be 8 quizzes that cover the corresponding assigned reading. Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 25-30 true/false and multiple-choice questions, and have a time limit of 1 hour and 30 minutes. There will be 1 quiz with a single essay response in which the student will submit the name and website of their weight loss program selection. This quiz is not timed. (CLO: B, C)


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