Kelly David Brownell (born October 31, 1951)[1] is a
clinical psychologist and scholar of public health and public policy at
Duke University whose work focuses on
obesity and
food policy. He is a former
dean of Duke's
Sanford School of Public Policy. Noted for his research dealing primarily with obesity prevention, as well as the intersection of behavior, environment, and health with public policy, Brownell advised former
First LadyMichelle Obama's initiatives to address childhood obesity[2] and has testified before
Congress.[3] He is credited with coining the term "
yo-yo dieting",[4] and was named as one of "The World's 100 Most Influential People" by Time Magazine in 2006.[5]
Personal background
Brownell was born in 1951 and was raised in
Indiana. After receiving his
Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from
Purdue University in 1973,[6] he was awarded a
Ph.D in Psychology from
Rutgers University in 1977.[7] His advisor was Oscar Krisen Buros Professor G. Terence Wilson.
In 1991, he joined Yale University, where he held positions as the
James Rowland Angell professor of psychology,[9] professor of epidemiology and public health, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, chair of the department of psychology, and head of the undergraduate dormitory
Silliman College.[citation needed]
Brownell left Yale in 2013 to join Duke University as Dean of its Sanford School of Public Policy, in which role he continued until the end of the 2018 academic year.[10] He holds academic appointments as the Robert L. Flowers Professor of Public Policy, Professor of Psychology and
Neuroscience, Director of the World Food Policy Center, and is a faculty affiliate of the Duke Global Health Institute.[11]
In 2017, backed by funding from the
Duke Endowment,
William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust, and
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, Duke University announced the formation of its new World Food Policy Center (WFPC), based at the Sanford School of Public Policy. Brownell is the center's founder and director.[12]
To date, he has authored 15 books and more than 350 scientific articles, papers, and chapters.[13][14] He has also contributed to
mainstream media outlets.[15][16]
Brownell was previously president of the Society of Behavioral Medicine;[17] Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy;[18] and American Psychological Association, Division 38: Society for Health Psychology.[19]
Impact
Brownell's 1986 paper, Understanding and Preventing Relapse, published in American Psychologist, was recognized at the time as one of the most frequently cited papers in psychology.[20]
Recognized for introducing the idea of food taxes as a means of improving public health in 1994,[21] his work on
soda taxes[22] has been used by cities, states, and countries seeking to implement them as a public policy tool and tax revenue strategy.[23] In commentary for Time Magazine's "Time 100 of 2006", former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate
Mike Huckabee commented that Brownell had "helped set the U.S. agenda by calling for a ban on sweetened-cereal ads aimed at kids and a tax on high-fat, low-nutrition food."[24]
Brownell has also influenced popular culture. In addition to having coined the term "yo-yo dieting", he is also credited with introducing the phrase "
toxic food environment" in his 2004 book, Food Fight: The Inside Story of the Food Industry.[25] A frequent radio[26] and television guest,[27] he is the host of the Policy 360 podcast, and has appeared in a variety of feature films and documentaries:
The Sanford School of Public Policy's Brownell-Whetten Diversity and Inclusion Award was established in 2016 to recognize the work of Brownell and fellow professor, Kate Whetten.[46]
Selected works
Behavioral Medicine and Women: A Comprehensive Handbook,
ISBN978-1572305229
Eating, Body Weight, and Performance in Athletes: Disorders of Modern SocietyISBN978-0812114744
Eating Disorders and Obesity, Third Edition: A Comprehensive Handbook,
ISBN978-1462529063
^"TESTIMONY OF KELLY D. BROWNELL, Ph.D."(PDF). United States Senate Committee On Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry. United States Senate. March 6, 2007. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
^Brownell, Kelly D.; Heckerman, Carol L.; Westlake, Robert J.; Hayes, Steven; Monti, Peter M. (January 5, 1978). "The Effect of Spouse Training and Partner Cooperativeness in the Behavioral Treatment of Obesity". Behaviour Research and Therapy. 16 (5): 323–333.
doi:
10.1016/0005-7967(78)90002-5.
PMID743074.(Subscription required.)
^Brownell, Kelly D. (June 7, 2017). "The Big Business of The Obesity Crisis". The Takeaway (Interview). Interviewed by Mary Harris. New York:
Public Radio International and
WNYC.