Nutrition and Physical Activity for Health with John M. Jakicic, Ph.D., and Amy D. Rickman,...

Key Takeaways

[Music] Hi, I'm John Chisik, a professor in the department of health and physical activity and the director of the physical activity and weight management research center at the University of Pittsburgh. I invite you to join me and my colleagues in our efforts to improve health, well-being, and quality of life. All you have to do is look around and you will see that individuals weigh more than they did 20 or 30 years ago. That we have poor diets and we spend more time sitting than we do moving around. These lifestyle trends have resulted in over 65% of adults and over 30% of children being overweight or obese. And with this excess weight comes many health conditions that include heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and muscularkeeletal disorders and even impairments in cognitive function. Because in most cases the core cause of obesity and its related health conditions is a poor diet and lack of sufficient physical activity. It is no surprise that to reverse this health problem, a proper foundation of nutrition and sufficient physical activity is imperative. Unfortunately, there is a significant amount of misinformation available to the public about nutrition, activity, and methods of safe and effective weight control. While simply trying to eat a more nutritious diet and trying to start a program of regular physical activity sounds relatively simple, in actuality, these changes can be very challenging. To put it quite simply, if this is so easy, then why is it so hard for most? This course is designed to provide accurate and evidence-based information to assist individuals in moving through the journey of adopting and maintaining more healthful eating and activity behaviors that can result in improved health and quality of life. This course is designed to provide a foundation of nutritional knowledge to develop a pattern of healthy eating that is sustainable. We add to this a foundation of knowledge related to physical activity and exercise. And we bring these two key lifestyle behaviors together under the umbrella of calorie balance, which is the understanding of how we balance the calories that we eat in our diet with the calories that we burn to sustain life and to perform all of our daily tasks and functions. Ultimately, this information can only be of value if individuals understand how to engage in these healthier behaviors within their daily lives when they are faced with many barriers to these behaviors. This course addresses these issues and provides information on effective strategies for adopting and maintaining these targets. So, join us on this journey to lifestyle that will improve your health, well-being, and quality of life. My colleagues and I at the University of Pittsburgh are eager to engage you as you undertake this journey.