Journals
Voice of the Editor
Professor Craig Sale, Editor-in-Chief, The Journal of Nutritional Physiology
“Nutritional physiology no longer exists in a vacuum, so the future of nutritional physiology education must be as dynamic and adaptable as the science it teaches. With food systems under strain and health crises multiplying, the field sits at the crucial intersection of biology, behaviour, and global well-being, meaning that nutritional physiology education can equip students to help tackle obesity, ensure food security, harness biotechnology, and shape health policy.”
Professor Craig Sale
In a world increasingly burdened by obesity, malnutrition, and chronic disease, nutritional physiology is more vital than ever. As our scientific understanding of the field expands and public health concerns intensify, the education of our future professionals faces unprecedented challenges, not least because of the threats to higher education funding worldwide. Simultaneously, however, opportunities are emerging to modernise and reimagine how we teach nutritional physiology. The question is: how can education keep pace with science, society, technology and the changing environment?
Curricula need to become more interdisciplinary and applied, possibly integrating case-based learning, simulations, and community projects to help students contextualise knowledge. Cross-departmental collaborations could foster a more holistic approach, preparing graduates to work effectively across sectors. Joint modules with public policy, technology, and media/communication departments can prepare students for the world of work, where one may need to collaborate with data scientists, behavioural psychologists, environmentalists, and policymakers to address complex health challenges.
It is vital, however, that we do not lose sight of the fundamentals, including biochemistry, metabolic pathways and molecular mechanisms. Whilst today’s students expect interactivity and personal relevance in their learning, we must ensure that this is accurate and relevant. Undoubtedly, gamification, storytelling, and immersive technologies are altering the learning experience. Making the invisible visible by exploring digestion from a microscopic perspective using augmented reality, or tracing nutrient pathways through interactive simulations can create a more modern teaching environment, helping to engage curiosity and deepen understanding among younger generations.
Regardless, nutritional physiology is evolving rapidly; new findings on the microbiome, personalised nutrition, gene-diet interactions, and metabolomics are reshaping the landscape. The Physiological Society has recognised this, launching The Journal of Nutritional Physiology to capture and curate research across the full spectrum of topics that make up nutritional physiology. As educators, we must take up the challenge to keep pace, but, at the same time, make sure that we are able to sense check information.
We must pivot to dynamic, evidence-based teaching models, leveraging digital platforms that can ensure our students have access to the latest discoveries. Here again though, we must ensure that we are encouraging critical thinking and research literacy; something that appears to have declined over the last decade. This is critical in the modern world, where students are undoubtedly digital natives and online savvy, but are subjected to health influencers, wellness myths, and AI-generated content, which makes distinguishing science from pseudoscience a major challenge.
As educators, we must train our students to scrutinise sources, analyse data integrity, and debunk misinformation. Skills like negotiation, systems thinking, and science communication should perhaps be embedded into our graduate training programmes.
Diet and nutrition are influenced by culture, access, and socioeconomic status. Yet, much educational content remains biased toward Western norms and research populations, failing to reflect global diversity, food insecurity challenges or even prevalence of major disease. Developing inclusive curricula that incorporate global dietary patterns, traditional knowledge, and socioeconomic perspectives can help students appreciate the full spectrum of nutritional physiology. Bringing in diverse guest speakers and using culturally representative case studies makes the learning environment more inclusive and relevant. Also important here are open-access educational resources, including journals like The Journal of Nutritional Physiology, which can help to disseminate high quality information, democratise education and support professional development globally.
Nutritional physiology no longer exists in a vacuum, so the future of nutritional physiology education must be as dynamic and adaptable as the science it teaches. With food systems under strain and health crises multiplying, the field sits at the crucial intersection of biology, behaviour, and global well-being, meaning that nutritional physiology education can equip students to help tackle obesity, ensure food security, harness biotechnology, and shape health policy. The message is clear; innovation isn’t optional, it is essential.
