COURSE TITLE: ESS 676 Problems Seminar; Exercise, Obesity & Body Composition

OFFICE HOURS: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 11-12 or by appointment.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: In-depth look at the theory and practical use of different body composition techniques currently used in the field & review of current literature in the area of exercise intervention for weight loss, the success of long term weight loss and the latest theories on the role of genetics versus environment in the development of obesity.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK: There is no required text. There are required readings, which will be handed out in class or put on reserves.

COURSE GOALS: By the end of the course, students should be able to:

1. Define, describe & discuss; a) basic measures of body composition; b) advanced methods for assessment of body composition; c) models for development of obesity and diabetes; d) current trends in the use of exercise for management of obesity and diabetes.
2. Analyze, appraise & compare current trends in the use of physical activity for weight loss and management of diabetes.
3. Evaluate, criticize & judge the usefulness of dietary and exercise information presented to the general public.
4. Manage, categorize & assess data from research articles and summarize the useful facts for different populations.

Body Composition Project 10 %

Article Journal 25 %

Presentation 10 %

Final Paper 15 %

Examinations 40 %

Midterm(20 %)

Final (20 %)

This project will be due Wednesday Feb 7^th. It will be started in class as part of the practical experience and completed outside of class. This project will help students understand the difficulties associated with using basic body composition techniques as an assessment of body fat. It will allow students to practice basic techniques and also apply what they have learned to situations that pertain to their current or likely, workplace.

The 'article journal' will be the base from which students choose both their presentation and paper topics. The article journal will be turned in on Wednesday April 25^th and will be a semester long project. This project is designed to represent the type of information given to the 'lay-public' on topics associated with obesity, exercise, diet, nutrition, diabetes, heart-disease risk, etc. Students will collect articles of interest to them from the internet, magazines, newspaper, newsletters, etc., any forum that disseminates information to the lay-public. At least two articles per week should be added to the journal, dated and the source noted. Students may feel free to add comments or summaries about the article.

Presentations will be made Wednesday Feb 28^th. Students will make a 15-20 minute presentation on a relevant topic of their choice (related to exercise, obesity and body composition). If you are unsure about the relevance of the topic you have chosen, please see me by Jan 31^st to discuss your choice of topic. As much as possible, students are encouraged to integrate information from the lay-public articles they have included in their article journal and present the scientific literature that backs up or refutes the information seen in the lay-public articles.

A draft of the paper will be due Wednesday April 4^th. The final paper will be due Wednesday April 25^th and can be on the same or different topic from the oral presentation made in class. This paper will be a 'critique' format. Again, students will choose an article or group of articles (on the same topic) from the article journal and will back up or refute the information given to the general or lay-public with information from scientific journals. The paper should have an introduction and conclusion, with the main body of the paper organized in whatever fashion the student feels necessary to convey the information. Whenever possible, both sides of the topic should be covered (for and against) and students are encourage to give their opinion (but not in lieu of proper scientific information). A proper reference section is required. The main body of the paper (introduction, arguments, conclusions), should be limited to 12-15 pages double-spaced.

In general, I will use the following grading cutoffs:

90% and up A

80% to 89% B

70% to 79% C

60% to 69% D

60% and below F

I reserve the right to be flexible in this cutoff procedure, and will adjust the grade cutoff to match breakpoints in test scores.

I reserve the right to adjust/change the course content, schedule and examination dates as needed, to cover all necessary information. The following topics will be covered;

1/10 Introduction & Statistics

1/17- Basic and Advanced Body

2/14 Composition Assessment Techniques

2/21 Midterm

2/28 Student Presentations

3/14- Obesity & Diabetes

4/4

4/11- Review of Current Literature

4/25 of Exercise as a Method of Intervention

for weight loss, obesity and diabetes.