Globally, more than 1 billion adults and 42 million children are overweight or obese. As a complex health problem afflicting people in both the developed and developing world, understanding the disease from a multidisciplinary perspective is critical for public health professionals. Class sessions will focus on in-class learning activities ranging from article discussions to student presentations to debates designed to promote and develop critical thinking and analysis of the causes, consequences, and prevention of obesity. Students will also develop an understanding of the key methodological concepts in the design, analysis, and interpretation of obesity studies through critically reading and discussing literature in obesity epidemiology. Topics in obesity epidemiology will also be highlighted through cutting-edge research presentations.