Kelly D. Brownell

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Kelly D. Brownell

Born 1951
Indiana
Citizenship Flag of the United States American
Ethnicity Caucasian
Fields Epidemiology, psychology
Alma mater Purdue University
Rutgers University
Brown University
Known for Research regarding eating and body weight regulation
Notable awards James McKeen Cattell Award from the New York Academy of Sciences

Outstanding Contribution to Health Psychology from the American Psychological Association

Distinguished Alumni Award from Purdue University

Kelly D. Brownell is an American scientist, professor, and internationally renowned expert on obesity and weight control. Brownell is Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale, where he is also Professor of Psychology and Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health. His research deals primarily with eating and body weight regulation and the intersection of behavior, environment, and health with public policy. He was named in 2006 as one of the "World's 100 Most Influential People" by Time magazine.

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[edit] Personal background

Brownell was born in 1951 and was raised in Indiana. His undergraduate work was at Purdue University, followed by a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Rutgers University in 1977, advised by G. Terence Wilson, and additional training at Brown University.

[edit] Career

He served on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine for 13 years before joining the Yale University faculty in 1990. He served from 1995-1999 as Director of Clinical Training, from 1999-2003 as Director of Graduate Studies, and from 2003-2006 as Chair of Yale's Department of Psychology. In 1994 he became Master of Silliman College at Yale where he served until 2000. He has served as President of several national organizations, including the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, and the Division of Health Psychology of the American Psychological Association.

He has received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the James McKeen Cattell Award from the New York Academy of Sciences, the award for Outstanding Contribution to Health Psychology from the American Psychological Association, and Distinguished Alumni Award from Purdue University. He has published 14 books and more than 300 scientific articles and chapters. One book received the Choice Award for Outstanding Academic Book from the American Library Association, and his paper on "Understanding and Preventing Relapse" published in the American Psychologist was listed as one of the most frequently cited papers in psychology.

Brownell has advised members of congress, governors, world health and nutrition organizations, celebrities, and media leaders on issues of nutrition, obesity, and public policy. He was cited as a "moral entrepreneur" with special influence on public discourse in the history of the obesity field, and was cited by Time magazine as a leading "warrior" in the area of nutrition and public policy. As Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale, he oversees all aspects of strategy and programming for the center.

Brownell teaches a class entitled "The Psychology, Biology, and Politics of Food" for Yale undergraduates. The class draws over 200 students each year.

[edit] Miscellanea

  • coined term "Toxic Environment"
  • coined term "yo-yo dieting"
  • first to propose a food tax to improve the nation's food environment
  • has been called "crusader" against the fast food industry
  • compared current junk food industry to the Big Tobacco industry
  • featured in Academy Award-nominated film Super Size Me
  • named one of the World's 100 Most Influential People by Time Magazine in 2000
  • he has three children, a daughter Kristy who is currently enrolled at Ursinus College, Kevin who lives in Berkeley, CA and Matt who resides and works in New York City.

[edit] Selected works

[edit] External links