Beyond Diets: The Science of Weight Loss, GLP-1s, and Metabolic Health
Online short course
Explore the latest weight management research, including GLP-1s, with guidance from Stanford Medicine experts, and learn evidence-based strategies to help you make more informed health decisions for yourself and your family, or improve patient and client outcomes in clinical, corporate, or advisory settings.
6 weeks, excluding orientation; 4-7 hours per week
Combining evidence-based curriculum with real-world case studies
Weekly modules, flexible learning
Live session with Stanford Medicine faculty
On completion of this online short course, you’ll walk away with:
1
GLP-1 expertise you can apply immediately: Learn how medications like Ozempic work, when they're appropriate, and how to integrate them with lifestyle interventions across settings.
2
Actionable tools, not just theory: Gain practical frameworks for sustainable weight management grounded in the latest metabolic science, and apply them through a hands-on capstone project you can take straight into your practice.
3
Advanced metabolic health knowledge: Go beyond foundational nutrition into obesity science, body composition, and the biological drivers of weight regulation — with Stanford faculty and a global professional cohort.
4
A Stanford Medicine credential: Signal evidence-based expertise with a certificate from one of the world's top-ranked medical institutions.
Course curriculum
Module 1
Module 2
Module 3
Module 4
Module 5
Academic Directors
Christopher Gardner
Director of Nutrition Studies, Stanford Prevention Research Center; Rehnborg Farquhar Professor of Medicine, Stanford University
Christopher Gardner, PhD, has conducted more than 25 large-scale randomized clinical trials (RCTs) with thousands of participants. Gardner recently completed a two-year term on the 2025 U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee and is the past chair of the American Heart Association’s Nutrition Committee. He received his PhD in nutrition at UC Berkeley and his BS in philosophy at Colgate University. His work has been featured in major outlets such as The New York Times, CNN, and MSNOW, and in the Emmy Award–winning docuseries You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment (2024).
Dalia Perelman
Research Dietitian, Stanford University
Dalia Perelman’s research combines nutrition science with a clinical perspective to study how diet influences metabolic health and chronic disease risk. She collaborates on clinical and translational research exploring a range of dietary approaches and uses tools such as continuous glucose monitoring to better understand how individuals respond differently to food. Her work also addresses current topics of interest, including weight loss strategies and the role of medical therapies such as GLP-1 receptor agonists. Perelman is particularly focused on translating complex science into practical, evidence-based strategies that support realistic and sustainable approaches to long-term health.
"Many people come to this topic interested in weight loss or new therapies like GLP-1 medications. In this course, we explore those areas while also going deeper, examining the biological, behavioral, and lifestyle factors that shape metabolic health. Our goal is to help learners move beyond the number on the scale and develop a more complete, practical, and sustainable approach to improving their health.”
– Dalia Perelman
Research Dietitian, Stanford University
About GetSmarter
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An online education that sets you apart
This online short course from Stanford Medicine is delivered in collaboration with online education provider GetSmarter. Join a growing community of global professionals and benefit from the opportunity to:
Attend a rigorous, cohort-based online learning experience that features expert-led content, a live session, and opportunities to expand your global network.
Enjoy a personalized, people-mediated online learning experience created to make you feel supported at every step.
Experience a flexible but structured approach to online education as you plan your learning around your life to meet weekly milestones.
This online short course is for you if you are:
A healthcare professional, wellness and fitness practitioner, or health-conscious individual seeking an evidence-based understanding of nutrition science, including GLP-1 therapies, metabolism, and weight management.
This online short course is designed for a range of learners, especially:
Healthcare professionals — including doctors, dietitians, nurses, pharmacists, clinical researchers, and allied health practitioners who want to incorporate advanced nutritional guidance and GLP-1 protocols into clinical practice to help improve patient outcomes in obesity and diabetes care.
Wellness and fitness professionals — such as personal trainers, health coaches, corporate wellness leaders, and fitness practitioners seeking evidence-based strategies for weight management, nutrition planning, and the responsible use of GLP-1 medications to help support client outcomes or expand their professional expertise.
Health-conscious individuals — with a foundational understanding of nutrition who want to explore more advanced dietary strategies, personalized weight management approaches, and the role of GLP-1 therapies in long-term health.
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