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Intermediate
Psychology & Mental Health
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The Psychology, Biology and Politics of Food
Open Yale Courses
Platform
· New Haven, USA
About this course
This course examines eating and food from psychological, biological, social, and political perspectives. Topics include taste preferences, food aversions, regulation of hunger and satiety, food as comfort and social ritual, and social norms around blame for food problems. The course also explores the politics of food, including sustainable agriculture, organic farming, genetically modified foods, nutrition policy, and the influence of food and agriculture industries. Additional themes include malnutrition, eating disorders, the global obesity epidemic, food advertising to children, poverty and food, and how modern environments shape individual eating behavior.
Prerequisite Skills
Skills you should have before taking this course
introductory psychology
basic research methods
foundations of nutrition
Skills Gained
Skills you will develop by completing this course
health psychology
eating behavior analysis
nutrition and public health
food policy and politics
social psychology of food
obesity and eating disorders
media and food advertising analysis
research and op-ed writing