The Public Health Nutrition concentration trains individuals to promote health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases and obesity through educational and environmental approaches to improved nutrition and physical activity.
The goals of the Public Health Nutrition concentration are to prepare health and nutrition professionals to:
- Identify and assess diet-related health problems—of both undernutrition and overnutrition—among diverse population groups in the United States and internationally;
- Identify the social, cultural, economic, environmental, and institutional factors that contribute to the risk of undernutrition and overnutrition among populations;
- Demonstrate the linkages between agriculture, food, nutrition, and public health;
- Develop educational, institutional, and other population-based intervention strategies to improve food security and reduce obesity;
- Develop policies to reduce barriers to food insecurity and to improve the food and activity choices and nutritional status of diverse population groups;
- Promote policies to ensure the safe production, distribution, and consumption of food
- Develop effective strategies for advocating for improved nutrition and physical activity among diverse population groups, and
- Apply population-based research findings to the development and implementation of nutrition policies and programs in the United States and internationally.