This course encompasses the study of eating as it affects the health and well-being of every human. Topics include taste preferences, food aversions, the regulation of hunger and satiety, food as comfort and friendship, eating as social ritual, and social norms of blame for food problems. The politics of food discusses issues such as sustainable agriculture, organic farming, genetically modified foods, nutrition policy, and the influence of food and agriculture industries. Also examined are problems such as malnutrition, eating disorders, and the global obesity epidemic; the impact of food advertising aimed at children; poverty and food; and how each individual's eating is affected by the modern environment.
Introduction: What We Eat, Why We Eat and the Key Role of Food in Modern Life
Food Then, Food Now: Modern Food Conditions and Their Mismatch with Evolution
Biology, Nutrition and Health I: What We Eat
Biology, Nutrition and Health II: What Helps Us and Hurts Us
Biology, Nutrition and Health III: The Psychology of Taste and Addiction
Culture and the Remarkable Plasticity of Eating (Presentation by Ashley Gearhardt)
Hunger in the World of Plenty
Nutrition Transition and Global Food Issues
From Ancient to Modern Farming: The Green Revolution and the Prospect of Feeding the World
Sustainability I: The Impact of Modern Agriculture on the Environment and Energy Use
Sustainability II: The Impact of Modern Agriculture on Biodiversity, Genetic Modification and Animal Welfare
Public Health vs. Medical Models in Nutrition Change: Saving Lives One or a Million at a Time
Eating Disorders and Obesity (Guest Lecture by B. Timothy Walsh)
Perspectives of the Food Industry (Guest Lecture by Derek Yach)
Economics, Nutrition and Health: Subsidies, Food Deserts and More
Everyone but Me: The Pervasive Reach and Powerful Influence of Food Marketing on Food Choices
The Politics of Food I: How Politics Affects National Nutrition Policy (Guest Lecture by Rogan Kersh)
The Politics of Food II: The Issues, the Fights and Who Controls the Frame
The Law and Opportunities to Improve Nutrition and Health (Guest Lecture by Stephen Teret)
Schools and Nutrition: Where Health and Politics Collide (Guest Lecture by Marlene B. Schwartz)
The Morphing of the Modern Diet (Guest Lecture by Brian Wansink)
Sustainability and Health Food Access (Guest Lecture by Melina Shannon-DiPietro and Jennifer McTiernan)
Success Stories, Innovation and Change from the Grass Roots