Kelly D. Brownell, Ph.D.
Kelly Brownell is Professor in the Department of Psychology at Yale University, where he also serves as Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health and as Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. In 2006 Time magazine listed Kelly Brownell among “The World’s 100 Most Influential People” in its special Time 100 issue featuring those “.. whose power, talent or moral example is transforming the world.”
Dr. Brownell was elected to membership in the Institute of Medicine in 2006 and 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, the Distinguished Alumni Award from Purdue University, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from Rutgers University. He has served in a number of leadership roles at Yale including Master of Silliman College and Chair of the Department of Psychology from 2003-2006.
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.
Dr. Brownell has advised members of congress, governors, world health and nutrition organizations, 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 a history of the obesity field and was cited by Time magazine as a leading “warrior” in the area of nutrition and public policy.
Selected Books
Wilson, G.T., Franks, C.M., Brownell, K.D., & Kendall, P.C. (1984). Annual Review of Behavior Therapy, Volume 9. New York: Guilford Press.
Brownell, K.D., & Foreyt, J.P. (1986). Handbook of Eating Disorders: Physiology, Psychology, and Treatment of Obesity, Anorexia, Bulimia. New York: Basic Books.
Blechman, E.A., & Brownell, K.D. (Eds.) (1988). Handbook of Behavioral Medicine For Women. New York: Pergamon.
Brownell, K.D., Rodin, J., & Wilmore, J.H. (Eds.) (1992). Eating, Body Weight and Performance in Athletes: Disorders of Modern Society. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger.
Brownell, K.D., & Fairburn, C.G. (Eds.) (1995). Eating Disorders and Obesity: A Comprehensive Handbook. New York: Guilford.
Blechman, E.A., & Brownell, K.D. (Eds.) (1998). Behavioral Medicine & Women: A Comprehensive Handbook. New York: Guilford.
Fairburn, C.G., & Brownell, K.D. (Eds.) (2002). Eating Disorders and Obesity: A Comprehensive Handbook (Second Edition). New York: Guilford Press.
Brownell, K.D., & Horgen, K.B. (2004). Food Fight: The Inside Story of the Food Industry, America’s Obesity Crisis, and What We Can Do About It. New York: McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Books.
Brownell, K.D., Puhl, R.B., Schwartz, M.B., & Rudd, L.C. (Eds.). (2005). Weight Bias: Nature, Consequences, and Remedies. New York: Guilford.
Selected Research Articles
Brownell, K.D., Stunkard, A.J., & Albaum, J.M. (1980). Evaluation and modification of exercise patterns in the natural environment. American Journal of Psychiatry, 137, 1540 1545.
Brownell, K.D., & Stunkard, A.J. (1981). Differential changes in plasma high density lipoprotein cholesterol in obese men and women during weight reduction. Archives of Internal Medicine, 141, 1142 1146.
Brownell, K.D., & Stunkard, A.J. (1981). Couples training, pharmacotherapy, and behavior therapy in the treatment of obesity. Archives of General Psychiatry, 38, 1224 1229.
Brownell, K.D. (1982). Obesity: Understanding and treating a serious, prevalent, and refractory disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 50, 820-840.
Brownell, K.D., & Bachorik, P.S. (1982). Exercise and its effects on lipids and lipoproteins. Circulation, 66, 1346 (letter).
Brownell, K.D., Kelman, J.H., & Stunkard, A.J. (1983). Treatment of overweight children with and without their mothers: Changes in weight and blood pressure. Pediatrics, 71, 515 523.
Brownell, K.D., Cohen, R.Y., Stunkard, A.J., Felix, M.R.J., & Cooley, N.B. (1984). Weight loss competitions at the work site: Impact on weight, morale, and cost effectiveness. American Journal of Public Health, 74, 1283 1285.
Brownell, K.D. (1986). Public health approaches to obesity and its management. Annual Review of Public Health, 7, 521 533.
Brownell, K.D., Marlatt, G.A., Lichtenstein, E., & Wilson, G.T. (1986). Understanding and preventing relapse. American Psychologist, 41, 765 782.
Brownell, K.D., Greenwood, M.R.C., Stellar, E., & Shrager, E.E. (1986). The effects of repeated cycles of weight loss and regain in rats. Physiology and Behavior, 38, 459 464.
Steen, S.N., Oppliger, R.A., & Brownell, K.D. (1988). Metabolic effects of repeated weight loss and regain in adolescent wrestlers. Journal of the American Medical Association, 260, 47 50.
Cohen, R.Y., Brownell, K.D., & Felix, M.R.J. (1990). Age and sex differences in health habits and beliefs of school children. Health Psychology, 9, 208 224.
Gerardo Gettens, T., Miller, G.D., Horwitz, B.A., McDonald, R.B., Brownell, K.D., Greenwood, M.R.C., Rodin, J., & Stern, J.S. (1991). Exercise decreases fat selection in female rats during weight cycling. American Journal of Physiology, 260, R518-R524.
Lissner, L., Odell, P.M., D'Agostino, R.B., Stokes, J., Kreger, B.E., Belanger, A.J., & Brownell, K.D. (1991). Variability in body weight and health outcomes in the Framingham population. New England Journal of Medicine, 324,1839-1844.
Brownell, K.D. (1991). Personal responsibility and control over our bodies: When expectation exceeds reality. Health Psychology, 10, 303-310.
Stein, L.J., Stellar, E., West, D.B., Greenwood, M.R.C., Foster, G.D., Feurer, I., Brown, J., Mullen, J.L., & Brownell, K.D. (1991). Early-onset repeated dieting reduces food intake and body weight but not adiposity in dietary-obese female rats. Physiology and Behavior, 51, 1-6.
Brownell, K.D., & Wadden, T.A. (1992). Etiology and treatment of obesity: Understanding a serious, prevalent, and refractory disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60, 505-517.
Blair, S.N., Shaten, J., Brownell, K.D., Collins, G., & Lissner, L. (1993). Body weight change, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality in the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial. Annals of Internal Medicine, 119, 749-757.
Brownell, K.D., & Rodin, J. (1994). Medical, metabolic, and psychological effects of weight cycling. Archives of Internal Medicine, 154, 1325-1330.
Brownell, K.D., & Rodin, J. (1994). The dieting maelstrom: Is it possible and advisable to lose weight? American Psychologist, 49, 781-791.
Friedman, M.A., & Brownell, K.D. (1995). Psychological correlates of obesity: Moving to the next research generation. Psychological Bulletin, 117, 3-20.
Johnson, B., Brownell, K.D., St. Jeor, S.T., Brunner, R.L., & Worby, M. (1997). Adult obesity and functioning in the family of origin. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 22, 213-218.
Friedman, M.A., Schwartz, M.B., & Brownell, K.D. (1998). Differential relation of psychological functioning with the history and experience of weight cycling. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66, 646-650.
Baker, C.W., Whisman, M.A., & Brownell, K.D. (2000). Studying intergenerational transmission of eating attitudes and behaviors: Methodological and conceptual questions. Health Psychology, 19, 376-381.
Jacobson, M.F., & Brownell, K.D. (2000). Small taxes on soft drinks and snack foods to promote health. American Journal of Public Health, 90, 854-857.
Epel, E.S., McEwen, B., Seeman, T., Matthews, K., Castellazzo, G., Brownell, K.D., Bell, J., & Ickovics, J.R. (2000). Stress and body shape: Stress-induced cortisol secretion is consistently greater among women with central fat. Psychosomatic Medicine, 62, 623-632.
Epel, E., Lapidus, R., McEwen, B., & Brownell, K.D. (2001). Stress may add bite to appetite in women: A laboratory study of stress-induced cortisol and eating behavior. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 26, 37-49.
Puhl, R., & Brownell, K.D. (2001). Bias, discrimination, and obesity. Obesity Research, 9, 788-805.
Teachman, B.A., & Brownell, K.D. (2001). Implicit anti-fat bias among health professionals: Is anyone immune? International Journal of Obesity, 25, 1525-1531.
Wadden, T.A., Brownell, K.D., & Foster, G.D. (2002). Obesity: Confronting a Global Epidemic. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 70, 510-525.
Horgen, K.B., & Brownell, K.D. (2002). Comparison of price change and health message interventions in promoting healthy food choices. Health Psychology, 21, 505-512.
Teachman, B.A., Gapinski, K.D., Brownell, K.D., Rawlins, M., & Jeyaram, S. (2003). Demonstrations of anti-fat bias: The impact of providing causal information and evoking empathy. Health Psychology, 22, 68-78.
Greenberg, B.S., Eastin, M, Hofschire, L., Lachlan, K., & Brownell, K.D. (2003). Portrayals of overweight and obese individuals on commercial television. American Journal of Public Health, 93, 1342-1348.
Schwartz, M.B, Chambliss, H.O., Brownell, K.D., Blair, S.N., & Billington, C. (2003). Weight bias among health professionals specializing in obesity. Obesity Research, 11, 1033-1039.
Baker, C.W., Little, T.D., & Brownell, K.D. (2003). Predicting adolescent eating and activity behavior: The role of social norms and personal agency. Health Psychology, 22, 189-198.
Puhl, R.M., & Brownell, K.D. (2003). Psychosocial origins of obesity stigma: toward changing a powerful and pervasive bias. Obesity Reviews, 4, 213-227.
Wang, S.S., & Brownell, K.D. (2005). Public policy and obesity: The need to marry science with advocacy. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 28, 235-252.
Puhl, R.B., Schwartz, M.B., & Brownell, K.D. (2005). Impact of perceived consensus on stereotypes about obese people: A new approach for reducing bias. Health Psychology, 25, 517-525.
Yach, D, Stuckler, D., & Brownell, K.D. (2006). Epidemiologic and economic consequences of the global epidemics of obesity and diabetes. Nature Medicine, 12, 62-66.
Puhl, R.M., & Brownell, K.D. (2006). Confronting and coping with weight stigma: An investigation of overweight and obese adults. Obesity, 14, 1802-1815.
Vartanian, L.R., Schwartz, M.B., & Brownell, K.D. (2007). Effects of soft drink consumption on nutrition and health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Public Health, 97, 667-675.
Schwartz, M.B., & Brownell, K.D. (2007). Actions necessary to prevent childhood obesity: Creating the climate for change. Journal of Law, Medicine, and Ethics, Spring 2007, 78-89.
Andreyeva, A., Puhl, R.M., & Brownell, K.D. (2008). Changes in perceived weight discrimination among Americans, 1995-1996 through 2004-2006. Obesity, 35, 1-6.
Puhl, R.M., Andreyeva, T, & Brownell, K.D. (2008). Perceptions of weight discrimination:
prevalence and comparison to race and gender discrimination in America. International Journal of Obesity, 22, 1-6.
Swinburn, B.A., Sacks, G., Lobstein, T., Rigby, N., Baur, L., Brownell, K.D., Gill, T., Seidell, J.C., & Kumanyika, S. (in press). The “Sydney principles” for reducing the commercial promotion of foods and beverages to children. Public Health Nutrition.
Selected Opinion and Editorial Pieces
Brownell, K.D. (1994). Get slim with higher taxes (OpEd). New York Times, December 15, A-29.
Brownell, K.D., & Ludwig, D.S. (2002). Fighting obesity and the food lobby (OpEd). Washington Post, June 9, B07.
Ludwig, D.S., & Brownell, K.D. (2003). Severe acute apathy syndrome (OpEd). Boston Globe, May 29.
Brownell, K.D., & Nestle, M. (2004). The sweet and lowdown on sugar (OpEd). New York Times, January 23, p. A23.
Brownell K.D. (2004). Fast food and obesity in children (editorial). Pediatrics, 113, 132.
Brownell, K.D. (2004). Obesity and managed care: A need for activism and advocacy (editorial). American Journal of Managed Care, 10, 353-354.
Brownell, K.D., & Nestle, M. (2004). Are you responsible for your own weight? Time Magazine, June 7, 2004, 113.
Brownell, K.D. (2005). The chronicling of obesity: Growing awareness of its social, economic, and political contexts. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 30, 955-964.
Brownell. K.D., & Yach, D. (2005). The battle of the bulge. Foreign Policy, November/
December, 26-27.
Brownell, K.D., & Yach, D. (2006). Lessons from a small country about the global obesity crisis. Globalization and Health, 11, 1-2.
Brownell, K.D., & Willett, W.C. (2006). Choose to remove trans fats (OpEd). San Francisco Chronicle, Oct. 18, p. B8.
Puhl, R.M, & Brownell, K.D. (2006). Wrong way to fight fat (OpEd). Washington Post, Nov. 2, p. A17.
Brownell, K.D. (2007). Put calories on the menu (OpEd). Hartford Courant, April 18.
Brownell, K.D., & Friedman, R. (2008). We need to know what we eat (OpEd). Seattle Post
Intelligencer, February 14.