01.27.2025_Introduction

Page 1: Introduction

• Course Title: NFSC100 - Elements of Nutrition

• Instructor: Dr. Margaret Slavin, Associate Professor, Department of Nutrition & Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park

Page 2: Agenda

• Overview: Introduction of nutrition as a science.

Page 3: Course Overview

• Details on what will be covered throughout the course.

Page 4: Course Objectives

• Understand basic concepts of nutrition and how nutritional needs change over the lifespan.

• Learn the process of how the body digests, absorbs, and utilizes nutrients from food.

• Examine the role of food and nutrition in health promotion, chronic disease prevention, and environmental impact.

Page 5: Syllabus Overview

• Components of the Syllabus:

  • Roadmap for achieving objectives

  • Late work policies

  • Grading structure

  • Course topics

  • Contact information

  • Schedule

  • Textbooks required

  • Class dates

Page 6: Teaching Team

• Instructor: Dr. Margaret Slavin

• Teaching Assistants (TAs):

  • Darshika Amarakoon

  • Ethan Lee

  • Victor Mochama

  • Pritha Mukherjee

  • Monojit Kamilya

Page 7: Communications

• TA Role: Your primary contact for the semester.

• Email: Include "NFSC100" in the subject line for clarity.

• Announcements: Made using ELMS-Canvas messaging; ensure notifications are enabled.

Page 8: Materials & Resources

• eTextbook: Wardlaw’s Contemporary Nutrition (2024 release)

  • Purchase options: ELMS link or bookstore access card.

  • Includes NutritionCalc Plus for diet analysis.

• ELMS-Canvas: Accessed via elms.umd.edu.

• Canvas Student App: Links available on syllabus and ELMS.

Page 9: Learning Activities

• Assignments and Points:

  • Discussion Activities: 300 points

  • Diet Analysis Project: 200 points

  • Lecture Participation: 100 points

  • Exams (1-3): 100 points each

  • Final Exam: 100 points

  • Total: 1,000 points

Page 10: Grading

• **Performance-based grading using ELMS-Canvas.

• Grade cutoffs:

  • A+: 97-100%

  • A: 93-96.9%

  • A-: 90-92.9%

  • B+: 87-89.9%

  • B: 83-86.9%

  • B-: 80-82.9%

  • C+: 77-79.9%

  • C: 73-76.9%

  • C-: 70-72.9%

  • D+: 67-69.9%

  • D: 60-66.9%

  • F: <60%

Page 11: Lecture Participation

• Contribution to critical engagement; missing up to 5 activities allowed.

• Method of Submission: Responses collected via Canvas quizzes.

• Requirement: Complete at least 20 out of 25 activities for full credit.

Page 12: Task Reminder

• Complete today’s lecture participation activity before the next class.

Page 13: Lecture Participation Continued

• Activities have extended availability during the add/drop period.

• TAs available for assistance if experiencing setup issues.

Page 14: Diet Analysis Project

• Structure:

  • Part 1: Track diet/activity for 3 days; submit reports via NutritionCalc.

  • Part 2: Analyze reports and set nutrition goals.

  • Part 3: Assess progress towards nutrition goals.

Page 15: Discussion Sessions

• Weight: 30% of your grade.

• Mandatory attendance to earn credit.

• Discussions begin next week.

Page 16: Exams

• Format: Multiple choice, true/false, short answer, essay.

• Upcoming exams scheduled on class days. Final exam date tentative.

• Materials to bring: pencil, pen, calculator, student ID.

Page 17: Course Schedule

• Key Dates: Introduction to Science of Nutrition and lecture topics outlined for the weeks ahead.

Page 18: Make-up Assignments & Exams

• Policies specific to syllabus.

• Excused absences accepted under proper communication guidelines.

• Documentation may be required.

Page 19: Academic Integrity

• Expectations: Dishonesty and cheating not tolerated.

• Adhere to the University’s Code of Academic Integrity.

Page 20: Questions

• Open floor for any questions regarding the syllabus or course material.

Page 21: Nutrition as a Science

• Important concepts of nutrition will be explored throughout the course.

Page 22: What is Nutrition?

• Definition: Science of foods and nutrients, their actions in the body (ingestion, digestion, absorption, transport, metabolism, excretion).

Page 23: Conceptual Diagram

• Relation between foods & nutrients and their actions within the body.

Page 24: Factors Affecting Food Choices

• Topics to be explored regarding decision-making in nutrition.

Page 25: Influences on Food Choices

• Key factors:

  • Personal preference

  • Habit

  • Ethnic heritage

  • Social interactions

  • Convenience

  • Associations (positive/negative)

  • Emotional influences

  • Value systems

  • Body weight/image

  • Health benefits of nutrition

Page 26: Nutrition and Human Behavior

• Nutrition also encompasses studying human behavior regarding food choices.

Page 27: Impact of Food Choices

• Personal food decisions significantly influence overall health outcomes.

Page 28: Leading Causes of Death in the U.S.

• Table listing causes with highlights on nutrition-related deaths:

  • Heart disease (26.5%)

  • Cancers (22.8%)

  • Other chronic conditions and their associations with diet.

Page 29: Nutrition-Related vs. Genetic Diseases

• Classification of diseases based on nutritional influence:

  • Highly nutrition-related: Diabetes, heart disease, etc.

  • Less nutrition-related: Genetic disorders like Down syndrome.

Page 30: The Nutrients

• Functions of Nutrients:

  • Energy provision

  • Growth and development

  • Metabolic regulation

• Approximately 40 essential nutrients categorized as macronutrients and micronutrients.

Page 31: Nutrition Science Methodology

• Scientific method used to discover nutrition facts, with emphasis on the need for replicable results.

Page 32: Discovery of Vitamins - Beriberi

• Early signs of thiamine deficiency (Beriberi) and its symptoms.

Page 33: Brown Rice vs. White Rice

• Experiment with rats demonstrating the nutritional differences associated with brown rice.

Page 34: Role of Rice Bran

• Identification of thiamin (Vitamin B1) as a key nutrient from rice bran.

Page 35: The Vitamins

• Historical perspective on the research surrounding vitamins and essential nutrients.

Page 36: Publication Reference

• The Vitamines: Notable work by Casimir Funk.

Page 37: Scientific Method Steps

• Process outline: From observation to developing theories through repeated research conclusions.

Page 38: Evolution of Nutritional Research

• Last isolated vitamin (B12) in 1947; ongoing updates regarding nutrient requirements and dietary recommendations.

Page 39: Observational Study Designs

• Types of studies and their roles in understanding dietary impacts on health.

Page 40: Experimental Study Designs

• Explanation of different types of experimental setups used to analyze diet-related effects on health.

Page 41: Systematic Reviews

• Purpose: Structured review of multiple studies to determine dietary recommendations.

Page 42: Nutritional Needs & Scientific Method

• Nutrition research informs dietary guidelines promoting health, requiring peer review and validation.

Page 43: Final Questions

• Open the floor to any remaining inquiries regarding course content.