College of Health Professions News

In a feature from NPN Hub, CHP Professor Christen Cooper explores the social neuroscience of eating. She explains how food choices are shaped more by culture, identity, and environment than willpower alone, offering practical strategies for sustainable behavior change. Professor Cooper is also featured in Prevention, discussing research showing that adopting a healthier diet after age 45 can add years to life expectancy, particularly through plant-forward eating patterns rich in whole foods.

In a new episode from NPN Hub, host JJ sits down with Dr. Christen (Chris) Cooper, founder of the Master’s in Nutrition program at Pace University, to explore the social neuroscience of eating and long-term behavior change. Cooper explains how food choices are shaped more by community, culture, identity, and environment than by calorie counts or willpower, highlighting why traditional “clipboard nutrition” often fails. He shares practical strategies for navigating social norms around eating and illustrates the power of food to build connection and emotional regulation, including a transformative story from a Bronx school where gardening and cooking fostered cooperation and calm.

In Prevention, new research shows that changing to a healthier diet after age 45 can add years to your life—potentially more than three—by improving long-term health outcomes such as blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and inflammation. Christen Cooper, R.D.N., associate professor in the College of Health Professions at Pace University, explained that plant-forward eating patterns rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables were key drivers of increased lifespan in the study’s analysis of more than 100,000 participants. Making sustainable, nutritious dietary changes later in life can be a powerful step toward better health and longevity.

In health and nutrition, College of Health Professions Professor Christen Cooper speaks to SELF about intermittent fasting, noting that research remains mixed and that while narrower eating windows may help some people reduce snacking, results vary widely.