BMS5015 · Appetite, Energy Homeostasis and Obesity

Overview

Obesity and its co-morbidities are a major health problem worldwide and predicted to worsen through worsening of the situation in the world’s largest block of nations (the BRIC countries). The foreseeable future does not provide optimism these outcomes can be easily prevented and emphasis has to be on management and treatment. In this unit, you will gain knowledge and appreciation of forefront research in the biology and treatment of obesity and co-morbidities to allow you to conduct critical thinking and analytic research activities and be better informed citizens in the field of Obesity and its co-morbidities. This will be attained through study of how we acquire energy through our intake of foods and their conversion to energy stores; how energy is drawn down from the body stores for daily activities; when and how an imbalance can result between intake and expenditure to cause a surfeit of energy store, producing obesity and associated co-morbidities; and finally, what is the evidence basis for different therapies for the treatment of obesity and co-morbidities.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. Describe the nature of digestion, how nutrients are detected in the gut and signal to the brain to control body weight
2. Create a model of the current understanding of the central processing of information that relates to appetite from both homeostatic and reward – based perspectives.
3. Formulate a framework outlining the contribution of energy expenditure to control body weight and the amelioration of metabolic disorders.
4. Generate a model for the brain's control of body weight, incorporating competing processes limiting the ability to maintain weight loss.
5. Critically evaluate the evidence for the success of the treatment of overweight and obesity.

Workload

Workload (per 3 weeks) Semester is broken into: 4 x 3 week long themes/blocks with each theme/block consisting of - 3-4 hours lectures, 1 hour tutorial and 5 hours workshops

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.