FST3221: Nutrition through lifecycle and dietetics

Nutrition is a dynamic science that examines how dietary intake influences human growth, development, health, and disease across all stages of life. Evidence from life-cycle nutrition research consistently shows that nutritional requirements are not static; rather, they vary significantly from preconception, infancy, and childhood through adolescence, adulthood, and ageing, shaped by physiological, biochemical, and socio-environmental factors.

This course provides third-year Food Science and Technology students with an integrated understanding of human nutrition across the lifespan, linking fundamental nutritional principles with practical dietetic applications. It emphasizes the role of nutrients in supporting optimal growth, maintaining health, and preventing disease at each life stage, while also considering emerging public health challenges, dietary transitions, and sustainability issues in nutrition practice.

Students will explore age-specific nutritional requirements, physiological changes, and dietary guidelines, alongside the principles of dietetics, including nutritional assessment, meal planning, and the application of the Nutrition Care Process. The course also highlights the role of dietitians in clinical, community, and food industry settings, preparing students to translate scientific knowledge into evidence-based dietary recommendations.

By the end of this course, students will be equipped to critically evaluate nutritional needs across diverse populations, design appropriate dietary interventions, and contribute to improving nutritional wellbeing throughout the human lifespan. This foundation is essential for advancing professional competence in food science, nutrition, and dietetics, and for addressing global nutrition and health challenges.