The idea that nutrition as a field of study encompasses more than the laboratory and the clinic is by now widely accepted, as evidenced by recent visible and prestigious showcases for the broadest possible definition of nutrition. This paper goes beyond arguing for the validity of the concept of public nutrition, to identify the role of university-based research and training in advancing the field and professionalizing it. As a start, the false dichotomy of “basic” and “applied” research must be avoided. Public nutrition is inherently interdisciplinary and thus provides a dynamic merging of both. the more critical question is whether public nutrition is a discipline in its own right or a specialization within another discipline. A recent study suggests the possibility of distinct and complementary career paths for public nutrition professionals, each requiring different kinds and levels of training that transcend what any traditional discipline can offer.
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