Programs in food, nutrition, and wellness studies teach people about the role of food in health, wellness, and development. Students learn about the relationship between eating and health. They learn about the nutritional needs of the body at all stages of life. They may study the cellular and molecular functions of food processing by the body.

Did you know that poor nutrition, obesity, and a lack of physical activity together make up the second most preventable cause of death in the U.S.? In fact, many health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and low infant birth weight can be linked to what we eat.

If these issues concern you, and you'd like to help improve people's health by promoting healthy eating, this program of study may be the right one for you. As a student of food, nutrition, and wellness studies, you learn about food and nutrition from many angles.

One angle might be scientific. You might study the chemical and biological properties of different foods. What are the ingredients? How do these ingredients interact with each other, and with our bodies?

Other angles might be psychological and sociological. Why do comfort foods tend to be carbohydrates? What foods and nutrients do poor communities tend to lack?

Still other angles might be educational. How can we teach people in different communities to eat properly?

These are some of the many questions and approaches you might examine in this program of study. And as you might imagine, the scope of the field is broad, so you can tailor it to fit your interests.

If you like science, you could focus on nutritional science and research. If you like teaching, you could focus on community nutritional education. If you like activism, you could focus on advocating nutrition-related civic policies such as free lunches in schools where children tend to be hungry.

Many schools offer programs in food, nutrition, and wellness studies. You can earn a certificate or an associate's degree which both take between one and two years of full-time study after high school. You can also earn a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree. A bachelor's degree typically takes four years of full-time study, a master's degree between six and seven, and a doctoral degree between ten and eleven.