Kelly David Brownell is a clinical psychologist and scholar known for his work on obesity and food policy. Dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University through the 2018 academic year, Brownell is also the university's Robert L. Flowers Professor of Public Policy, and Director of its World Food Policy Center. Prior to joining the Duke University faculty, Brownell served as Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale, where he also held positions as Professor of Psychology; Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health; Chair of the Department of Psychology; and Head of Silliman College. Noted for his research and work dealing primarily with obesity prevention, as well as the intersection of behavior, environment, and health with public policy, Brownell has helped advise the White House and Congress. He is credited with coining the term "yo-yo dieting", and was named as one of "The World's 100 Most Influential People" by Time Magazine in 2006.
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, he was awarded a Ph.D in Psychology from Rutgers University in 1977. His advisor was Oscar Krisen Buros Professor G. Terence Wilson.
Career
In 1977, Brownell became a member of the faculty of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, serving as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry until 1990. During this period, he also served one year as a Visiting Scientist at the National Institutes of HealthNational Cancer Institute. In 1991, he joined the Yale University faculty, where he held positions as the James Rowland Angell Professor of Psychology, 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 Silliman College. Brownell left Yale in 2013 to join Duke University as Dean of its Sanford School of Public Policy. He also serves as the Robert L. Flowers Professor of Public Policy, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Director of the World Food Policy Center, and a faculty affiliate of the Duke Global Health Institute. 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, based at the Sanford School of Public Policy. Brownell is the center's founder and director. To date, he has authored 15 books and more than 350 scientific articles, papers, and chapters. He has also contributed to mainstream media outlets. In addition to his faculty positions, Brownell has been named a Fellow by American Psychological Association, Divisions 1, 12, 25, 38, and 47. Brownell was previously President of the Society of Behavioral Medicine; Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy; and American Psychological Association, Division 38: Society for Health Psychology.
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.
Influence and impact
Brownell's paper, Understanding and Preventing Relapse, published in American Psychologist in August, 1986, was recognized at the time as one of the most frequently cited papers in psychology. Named a "moral entrepreneur", his influence is most visible in the food policy arena. Recognized for introducing the idea of food taxes as a means of improving public health in 1994, his work on soda taxes has been used by cities, states, and countries seeking to implement them as a public policy tool and tax revenue strategy. In commentary for Time Magazine's "Time 100 of 2006", former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee said of Brownell, Brownell's influence is also seen in popular culture. Beyond having coined the term "yo-yo dieting", he is also credited with introducing the phrase "toxic food environment" in his book, , published in 2004. A frequent radio and television guest, he is the host of the Policy 360 podcast, and has appeared in a variety of feature films and documentaries:
