Course Details

Weight Management Essentials is comprised of eight ONLINE course sessions. Complete one session each day and you'll finish the course within two weeks. Complete a session a week and it's two months duration. After purchasing this course, SmartShape will send you information on how to access this online course.

The course sessions are as follows:

1. Obesity: Definitions, Prevalence and Trends -- Universal definitions for weight and body fat status; rates of weight gain for different age groups; current global incidence; trends and predictions.
2. Health Risks and Benefits -- Relative risk categories for weight status; detailed listing of diseases and conditions; diabetes and metabolic syndrome explained; a clear list of benefits.
3. Body Composition -- Uses and limitations of BMI and skinfolds; confident/standardized measurement; fascinating body images using DEXA scans.
4. Physiology of weight change -- Step-by-step anabolism and catabolism; key factors affecting metabolic rate; biological changes during over and underfeeding; weight loss plateaus.
5. Body Weight Regulation -- Key biological switches for energy balance; roles of hormones and neurotransmitters; leptin, serotonin and ghrelin simply explained.
6. Contributing Factors and Causes -- Unravelling genetic and environmental factors; hypothyroidism, PCOS and other medical issues; sleep, smoking, shiftwork all examined.
7. Treatment Options and Success Rates -- Pills, potions, lotions, gadgets and gizmos examined; effectiveness of diet versus exercise; when to consider drugs and surgery.
8. Guidelines and Industry practices -- Government guidelines; implications of weight loss industry regulation; screening and client assessment strategies; summary.