Health related degrees are among the top online degree programs. Online degrees in nutrition will be instrumental in educating many of the next generation of nutritionists. Will you be one of them?
Through one of the many online degrees in nutrition, your interest in healthy nutrition and the way it impacts our bodies can catapult you into a fantastic career. As the population ages, nutrition will be an important part of many disease management and disease prevention programs. Institutions that service the elderly will need nutritionists to plan menus and consult with individuals. Additionally, younger generations will need to be educated on the importance that nutrition plays beyond satisfying our daily needs.
Your Learning Curve
Nutritionists learn about the basic chemical compounds that make up food sources and how they impact the human body. With this knowledge, they devise menus for clients, hospitals, institutional food service organizations, and more. They inform the public about the importance of good nutrition and how to avoid poor nutrition. They aid in fighting obesity and food-related maladies in individual clients and within specific communities and cultures.
Most nutritionists pursue a bachelor degree (with some moving on to the master level). Beyond the general requirements for a bachelor degree, and before the coursework in nutrition, future nutritionists will study general topics and prerequisites such as:
These classes give students a foundation to the understanding of how and why the human body reacts the way it does to all of the various sources of nutrition available.
Beyond the Prerequisites
Once prerequisites are satisfied for online degrees in nutrition, students can embark on the core requirements of nutrition programs such as the following courses:
· Intro to Health Science basic principles of the study of the health sciences and impacts on health science professions
· Anatomy and Physiology a study of the make-up of the human body and the systems that are necessary for life functions
· Food Safety sanitation requirements and the threat of microorganisms
· Nutrition Analysis processes and tools for assessing nutritional imbalances and malnutrition
· Nutrition Planning/Management development of meals and menus, and the management of food preparation and distribution
· Biochemistry (Nutrition) chemical components of nutrition sources; metabolism of the essential components within food
· Age-Related Nutrition study of nutrition needs for different age groups and the life forces that impact these needs
· Metabolic Disease the impact of nutrition on the management and prevention of disease
· Vitamins/Minerals study of the elements of vitamins and minerals as they are obtained from food sources as well as supplements
· Plant-based Diets Veganism, vegetarianism and their unique requirements anomalies
· Nutrition and Culture variations in diets across cultures
Pick Your Specialty
Most nutritionists select a specialty in which they concentrate their careers. Online degrees in nutrition prepare students for their specialization during their bachelor studies. Specializations include the following areas:
· Child/Adolescent Nutrition
· Clinical nutrition
· Diabetes Nutrition
· Eating Disorders
· Food Allergies
· Fitness/Sports Nutrition
· Geriatric Nutrition
· Menu planning
· Nutrition for Disease Management and Prevention
· Obesity (Adult, Child or Adolescent)
· Pediatric Nutrition
· Weight Management
Online degrees in nutrition will give you many options for a lucrative profession that is personally rewarding and beneficial to your community.
Tell your peers about your experiences.