Nutrition and Disease

Overview

Worldwide people are living increasingly longer. According to the World Health Organization, the average life expectancy worldwide is 71.4 years, based on data of 2015. For high-income countries, this is even higher at 80-87 years.

The number of people suffering from cancer, heart disease and diabetes is increasing. In this Professional Certificate Program, you will learn about the influence of nutrition on these diseases. We will discuss how our diet determines our health and how the need for healthy nutrition is greater than ever. 

You will learn what a healthy diet includes and how it affects overall health and disease. Through a multidisciplinary approach, you will also gain insights that allow you to determine the value of scientific research on nutrition and disease and how to make conscious choices.

This Professional Certificate in Nutrition and Disease at Wageningen University and Research - WageningenX is especially valuable for professionals from various fields related to nutrition, cancer, cardiovascular disease and/or diabetes (e.g. nutritionists, epidemiologists, health promoters, medicine students, physicians, health policy makers, nutrition educators, biologists, food scientists). 

The courses are intended for those who need a refresher in the topic or are considering pursuing research in the field. You will acquire solid academic knowledge that will allow for better communication with patients, the public and other professionals. This program is not intended for patients seeking treatment guidance.

Job Outlook

• Career prospects for people with similar training include advanced career opportunities for health professionals, nutritionists, and epidemiologists in the fields of nutrition, health and disease.

• The demand for people with skills in nutrition is rising (15% job growth for next 10 years in the United States for nutritionist. (source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)

• Median pay for nutritionist in the United States in 2017 was $59,410 per year. (source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)

• More nutritionists will be needed to advise people who want to improve their health. (source: Occupational Outlook handbook)

• Employment of health educators is projected to grow 16% from 2016 to 2026. This is due to efforts to improve health outcomes and to reduce healthcare costs by teaching people about healthy behavior. (source: Occupational Outlook handbook)