With increasing understanding of the myriad benefits of a healthy lifestyle, coupled with nationwide attention on health problems such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis, there is an abundance of opportunity and challenge for newly educated professionals in the fields of health behavior science, health promotion, health and physical education, and nutrition and dietetics. Programs in this department focus on the psychosocial aspects of health, wellness, illness, and aging.

The Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition promotes health, well-being, and quality of life through innovative education, scholarship, and service:

• We help to meet the health needs of an ever-changing society through innovative education across the lifespan.
• We foster scholarly inquiry within and across disciplines, and we integrate and apply new knowledge that contributes to improving lifespan health.
• We further improve lifespan health by reaching out and partnering with others on the UD campus, communities, professional organizations, the medical community, government agencies, business, and industry.