Is there a branch of sociology that deals with nutrition and active lifestyles?

Question

(Please excuse my ignorance if this is an obvious question, but my Googling skills don't seem to be up to par today.)

I was just wondering if there is a branch of sociology that deals with health and wellness - like nutrition and exercise - when looking at a community or nation as a whole. If there is, would this be something that one could study in graduate school? (I'm interested in how lifestyles affect societies, not really the biology and chemistry part of health. I mean, I realize that I'd probably have to learn about those things, but they're not what I want my main focus to be.)

Answer 1

There is a branch of sociology, which would be the sociology of health. Research into 'active' lifestyles and nutrition would fall under sociology of health.

Unlike public health which will take a much more straight forward approach in addressing issues based on biological/essentialist research, sociology of health will look into the social constructs of health, how that's implemented in society and the issues surrounding it (i.e. fat discrimination, issues of class/race/gender in the 'health' rhetoric' and so on.

Many universities with sociology programs might offer an undergraduate course in the sociology of health. I took one and loved it. It's not my main focus in sociology but I do find the social construct of health and medicine highly fascinating, especially in the way in seems to be used to justify our discriminations.

Answer 2

Not necessarily sociology, but there is a graduate degree known as the Master of Public Health.

It's been a while since I've looked into it, but the degree typically covers health administration, policy, and nutrition, and disease prevention. You obviously aren't a doctor, but you work with them.

Basically, imagine that doctors work at the individual level, while MPHs work at the community level.

From what I can tell, this is a general page for public health programs that will give you more information than I can given how far removed I am from medicine now.