Kelly D Brownell
Biographic Data
| ID | 1660422 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Kelly D Brownell |
| GIVEN NAMES | Kelly D |
| FAMILY NAME | Brownell |
| SIGNATURE | BROWNELL K D |
| AFFILIATIONS | Yale University |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 62 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 392 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 62 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1978 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 10 |
Transforming Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine to Address the Climate Crisis: A Call for Strategic Research and Advocacy
OBJECTIVE: The climate crisis poses the largest threat to human health and survival and has been a public health emergency for many years. It is causing harmful consequences for physical and mental health and is amplifying existing health inequities. In this call to action, we highlight the relevance of the health psychology and behavioral medicine communities in addressing the health impacts of climate change. METHOD: We identify mitigation and …
Recognize fish as food in policy discourse and development funding
The international development community is off-track from meeting targets for alleviating global malnutrition. Meanwhile, there is growing consensus across scientific disciplines that fish plays a crucial role in food and nutrition security. However, this ‘fish as food’ perspective has yet to translate into policy and development funding priorities. We argue that the traditional framing of fish as a natural resource emphasizes economic developmen…
Primer on US Food and Nutrition Policy and Public Health: Food Sustainability
Primer on US Food and Nutrition Policy and Public Health: Food Assistance
Primer on US Food and Nutrition Policy and Public Health: Food Assistance Kelly D. Brownell PhD, D. Lee Miller JD, MEM, and Marlene B. Schwartz PhD Affiliation Kelly D. Brownell is with the World Food Policy Center, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC. D. Lee Miller is with the Environmental Law and Policy Clinic, Duke University School of Law, Durham. Marlene B. Schwartz is with the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesit…
Primer on US Food and Nutrition Policy and Public Health: Protect School Nutrition Standards
"Primer on US Food and Nutrition Policy and Public Health: Protect School Nutrition Standards." , 109(7), pp. 990–991
Food Swamps Predict Obesity Rates Better Than Food Deserts in the United States
This paper investigates the effect of food environments, characterized as food swamps, on adult obesity rates. Food swamps have been described as areas with a high-density of establishments selling high-calorie fast food and junk food, relative to healthier food options. This study examines multiple ways of categorizing food environments as food swamps and food deserts, including alternate versions of the Retail Food Environment Index. We merged …
Development of the Yale Food Addiction Scale Version 2.0.
Parallels in biological, psychological, and behavioral systems have led to the hypothesis that an addictive process may contribute to problematic eating. The Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) was developed to provide a validated measure of addictive-like eating behavior based upon the diagnostic criteria for substance dependence. Recently, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5) was released, which included signi…
Patchy progress on obesity prevention: Emerging examples, entrenched barriers, and new thinking
The Stress of Stigma: Exploring the Effect of Weight Stigma on Cortisol Reactivity
OBJECTIVE: To determine the physiological impact of exposure to weight stigma by examining alterations in salivary cortisol among lean and overweight women. METHODS: Participants were 123 lean and overweight adult women (mean body mass index = 26.99 [7.91] kg/m(2)). Participants' salivary cortisol was assessed both before and after either a weight stigmatizing or a neutral video. Participants completed self-report measures of mood and reactions t…
The science on front-of-package food labels
Objective The US Food and Drug Administration and Institute of Medicine are currently investigating front-of-package (FOP) food labelling systems to provide science-based guidance to the food industry. The present paper reviews the literature on FOP labelling and supermarket shelf-labelling systems published or under review by February 2011 to inform current investigations and identify areas of future research. Design A structured search was unde…
The use of sports references in marketing of food and beverage products in supermarkets
Objective Food marketing has been identified as a significant driver of the childhood obesity epidemic. The purpose of the present study was to (i) conduct a content analysis of the types of sports references that appear on supermarket food and beverage products and (ii) assess each product's nutritional and marketing profile. Design This was a descriptive study. Every product featuring sports references on the packaging was purchased in two majo…
Susan Nolen-Hoeksema (1959–2013)
Presents an obituary for Susan Nolen-Hoeksema. Susan received her bachelor's degree from Yale University and her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Her undergraduate and graduate school mentors were Irving Janis, Robert Sternberg, and Martin Seligman. Susan began her career at Stanford University, where she became a tenured associate professor in 1993, and moved to the University of Michigan, where she was promo…
US Food Company Branded Advergames on the Internet: Children's exposure and effects on snack consumption
Public health researchers express concern about branded computer games on food company websites (i.e. advergames) that enable marketers to engage children for unlimited lengths of time to promote calorie-dense nutrient-poor foods. Study 1 examines children's exposure to US food company websites with advergames: 1.2 million children visit these sites every month and spend up to 1 hour per month on some. They primarily promote candy, high-sugar cer…
Choosing front-of-package food labelling nutritional criteria: How smart were ‘Smart Choices’
Objective The ‘Smart Choices’ programme was an industry-driven, front-of-package (FOP) nutritional labelling system introduced in the USA in August 2009, ostensibly to help consumers select healthier options during food shopping. Its nutritional criteria were developed by members of the food industry in collaboration with nutrition and public health experts and government officials. The aim of the present study was to test the extent to which pro…
Food industry front groups and conflicts of interest: The case of Americans Against Food Taxes
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A test of different menu labeling presentations
The Smart Choices front-of-package nutrition label. Influence on perceptions and intake of cereal
The Impact of Weight Stigma on Caloric Consumption
The present study assessed the influence of exposure to weight stigma on energy intake in both overweight and normal‐weight adult women. Seventy‐three women (mean age: 31.71 ± 12.72 years), both overweight ( n = 34) and normal weight ( n = 39), were randomly assigned to view one of two videos depicting either weight stigmatizing material or neutral material, after which they consumed snacks ad libitum . Pre‐ and post‐video measures included blood…
Nutrition-related claims on children's cereals: What do they mean to parents and do they influence willingness to buy
Objective To examine parents’ beliefs about the meaning of common front-of-package nutrition-related claims on children's cereals and determine whether the claims would make them more willing to buy the cereals. Design Parents viewed images of box fronts for children's cereals of below-average nutritional quality, as assessed by a validated nutrient profiling model. These boxes featured various nutrition-related claims including ‘supports your ch…
Advancing Public Health Obesity Policy Through State Attorneys General
Obesity in the United States exacts a heavy health and financial toll, requiring new approaches to address this public health crisis. State attorneys general have been underutilized in efforts to formulate and implement food and obesity policy solutions. Their authority lies at the intersection of law and public policy, creating unique opportunities unavailable to other officials and government entities. Attorneys general have a broad range of au…
Personal Responsibility And Obesity: A Constructive Approach To A Controversial Issue
The concept of personal responsibility has been central to social, legal, and political approaches to obesity. It evokes language of blame, weakness, and vice and is a leading basis for inadequate government efforts, given the importance of environmental conditions in explaining high rates of obesity. These environmental conditions can override individual physical and psychological regulatory systems that might otherwise stand in the way of weigh…
Influence of Licensed Characters on Children's Taste and Snack Preferences
OBJECTIVE: The goal was to study how popular licensed cartoon characters appearing on food packaging affect young children's taste and snack preferences. METHODS: Forty 4- to 6-year-old children tasted 3 pairs of identical foods (graham crackers, gummy fruit snacks, and carrots) presented in packages either with or without a popular cartoon character. Children tasted both food items in each pair and indicated whether the 2 foods tasted the same o…
An observational study of consumer use of fast-food restaurant drive-through lanes: Implications for menu labelling policy
Objective Some versions of restaurant menu labelling legislation do not require energy information to be posted on menus for drive-through lanes. The present study was designed to quantify the number of customers who purchase fast food through drive-in windows as a means of informing legislative labelling efforts. Design This was an observational study. Setting The study took place at two McDonald’s and Burger King restaurants, and single Dairy Q…
Marketing foods to children and adolescents: Licensed characters and other promotions on packaged foods in the supermarket
Objective To analyse cross-promotions targeted to children and adolescents on packaging in the supermarket. Design On three occasions from 2006 to 2008, researchers purchased all foods in a large supermarket that included a cross-promotion on the package. A total of 397 products were categorized by promotional partner, food category, targeted age group, promotion type, product nutrition, and company policies on marketing to children. Results The …
The Impact of Food Prices on Consumption: A Systematic Review of Research on the Price Elasticity of Demand for Food
In light of proposals to improve diets by shifting food prices, it is important to understand how price changes affect demand for various foods. We reviewed 160 studies on the price elasticity of demand for major food categories to assess mean elasticities by food category and variations in estimates by study design. Price elasticities for foods and nonalcoholic beverages ranged from 0.27 to 0.81 (absolute values), with food away from home, soft …
Preliminary validation of the Yale Food Addiction Scale
Body Objectification and “Fat Talk”: Effects on Emotion, Motivation, and Cognitive Performance
Evaluating the Impact of Menu Labeling on Food Choices and Intake
Objectives. We assessed the impact of restaurant menu calorie labels on food choices and intake. Methods. Participants in a study dinner (n = 303) were randomly assigned to either (1) a menu without calorie labels (no calorie labels), (2) a menu with calorie labels (calorie labels), or (3) a menu with calorie labels and a label stating the recommended daily caloric intake for an average adult (calorie labels plus information). Food choices and in…
Psychological correlates of obesity: Moving to the next research generation
Studies comparing obese and nonobese persons have generally failed to find differences in global aspects of psychological functioning (e.g., depression, anxiety). The resulting conclusion, that obesity does not carry risk for psychological problems, is inimical to clinical impression, reports from overweight individuals, and a consistent literature showing strong cultural bias and negative attitudes toward obese persons. The often-cited notion th…
The dieting maelstrom: Is it possible and advisable to lose weight
The Food Marketing Defense Model: Integrating Psychological Research to Protect Youth and Inform Public Policy
Marketing practices that promote calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods directly to children and adolescents present significant public health risk. Worldwide, calls for government action and industry change to protect young people from the negative effects of food marketing have increased. Current proposals focus on restricting television advertising to children under 12 years old, but current psychological models suggest that much more is required.…
Portrayals of Overweight and Obese Individuals on Commercial Television
Objectives. This study examined the distribution and individual characteristics of body types on prime-time television. Methods. Five episodes of each of the 10 top-rated prime-time fictional programs on 6 broadcast networks during the 1999–2000 season were quantitatively analyzed. Results. Of 1018 major television characters, 14% of females and 24% of males were overweight or obese, less than half their percentages in the general population. Ove…
The Food Industry and Self-Regulation: Standards to Promote Success and to Avoid Public Health Failures
Threatened by possible government regulation and critical public opinion, industries often undertake self-regulatory actions, issue statements of concern for public welfare, and assert that self-regulation is sufficient to protect the public. The food industry has made highly visible pledges to curtail children's food marketing, sell fewer unhealthy products in schools, and label foods in responsible ways. Ceding regulation to industry carries op…
A test of different menu labeling presentations
Assessing the Feasibility and Impact of Federal Childhood Obesity Policies
Research on childhood obesity has primarily been conducted by experts in nutrition, psychology, and medicine. Only recently have public policy scholars devoted serious work to this burgeoning public health crisis. Here the authors advance that research by surveying national experts in health/nutrition and health policy on the public health impact and the political feasibility of fifty-one federal policy options for addressing childhood obesity. P…
The Smart Choices front-of-package nutrition label. Influence on perceptions and intake of cereal
Legal and Public Health Considerations Affecting the Success, Reach, and Impact of Menu-Labeling Laws
Because the rate of consumption of away-from-home meals has increased dramatically, the distinction between requiring nutrition information for packaged but not restaurant products is no longer reasonable. Public health necessitates that nutrition labels must be included with restaurant menus as a strategy to educate consumers and address the escalation of obesity. Menu-labeling laws are being considered at the local, state, and federal levels, b…
An Observational Study of Consumers’ Accessing of Nutrition Information in Chain Restaurants
In this observational study, we determined how frequently consumers accessed on-premises nutrition information provided at chain restaurants. The number of patrons entering and accessing nutrition information was recorded at 8 locations that were part of 4 major restaurant chains (McDonald's, Burger King, Starbucks, and Au Bon Pain). Only 6 (0.1%) of 4311 patrons accessed on-premises nutrition information before purchasing food. This very small p…
Weight loss competitions at the work site: Impact on weight, morale and cost-effectiveness
Three weight loss competitions were held in business/industrial settings. One competition was between three banks; the other two were within industries, either between employee teams selected at random or between divisions of the industry. Attrition in the competitions was less than 1 per cent and weight loss averaged 5.5 kg. Both employees and management reported positive changes in morale and employee/management relations, and both considered t…
Recognize fish as food in policy discourse and development funding
The international development community is off-track from meeting targets for alleviating global malnutrition. Meanwhile, there is growing consensus across scientific disciplines that fish plays a crucial role in food and nutrition security. However, this ‘fish as food’ perspective has yet to translate into policy and development funding priorities. We argue that the traditional framing of fish as a natural resource emphasizes economic developmen…
Primer on US Food and Nutrition Policy and Public Health: Protect School Nutrition Standards
"Primer on US Food and Nutrition Policy and Public Health: Protect School Nutrition Standards." , 109(7), pp. 990–991
Experimentation with smokeless tobacco and cigarettes by children and adolescents: Relationship to beliefs, peer use, and parental use
Experimentation with both cigarettes and smokeless tobacco by children in grades 3-12 in a school district in Pennsylvania was related to peer experimentation, parental use, and personal beliefs about the harm of the product for both males and females. Experimentation with both products had begun as early as the third grade and increased with age, with a major increase in experimentation during junior high school. Nearly half the males in grades …
Self and External Monitoring of Weight
Subjects were 23 obese men and women who received a behavioral weight control program and were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions: (1) subjects were weighed at the beginning of each treatment session and were encouraged to weigh themselves at home for “continuous feedback” or (2) subjects were not weighed at group meetings and were instructed to avoid weighing themselves at home in order to “concentrate on behavioral change.”…
Weight loss competitions at the work site: Impact on weight, morale and cost-effectiveness
Three weight loss competitions were held in business/industrial settings. One competition was between three banks; the other two were within industries, either between employee teams selected at random or between divisions of the industry. Attrition in the competitions was less than 1 per cent and weight loss averaged 5.5 kg. Both employees and management reported positive changes in morale and employee/management relations, and both considered t…
Experimentation with smokeless tobacco and cigarettes by children and adolescents: Relationship to beliefs, peer use, and parental use
Experimentation with both cigarettes and smokeless tobacco by children in grades 3-12 in a school district in Pennsylvania was related to peer experimentation, parental use, and personal beliefs about the harm of the product for both males and females. Experimentation with both products had begun as early as the third grade and increased with age, with a major increase in experimentation during junior high school. Nearly half the males in grades …
The dieting maelstrom: Is it possible and advisable to lose weight
Psychological correlates of obesity: Moving to the next research generation
Studies comparing obese and nonobese persons have generally failed to find differences in global aspects of psychological functioning (e.g., depression, anxiety). The resulting conclusion, that obesity does not carry risk for psychological problems, is inimical to clinical impression, reports from overweight individuals, and a consistent literature showing strong cultural bias and negative attitudes toward obese persons. The often-cited notion th…
Body Mass Index, Eating Attitudes, and Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
OBJECTIVE: This report describes associations between body mass index (BMI; kg/m2), eating attitudes, and affective symptoms across pregnancy and the postpartum period in a sample of 64 women. METHODS: As part of a larger study, women were recruited during pregnancy and followed prospectively to 14 months postpartum. Measures included self-reported prepregnancy and 4-month postpartum BMI as well as pregnancy, 4-month, and 14-month postpartum eati…
Stress and Body Shape: Stress-Induced Cortisol Secretion Is Consistently Greater Among Women With Central Fat
OBJECTIVE: Excessive central fat puts one at greater risk of disease. In animal studies, stress-induced cortisol secretion has been shown to increase central fat. The objective of this study was to assess whether women with central fat distribution (as indicated by a high waist-to-hip ratio [WHR]), across a range of body mass indexes, display consistently heightened cortisol reactivity to repeated laboratory stressors. METHODS: Fifty-nine healthy…
Bias, Discrimination, and Obesity
This article reviews information on discriminatory attitudes and behaviors against obese individuals, integrates this to show whether systematic discrimination occurs and why, and discusses needed work in the field. Clear and consistent stigmatization, and in some cases discrimination, can be documented in three important areas of living: employment, education, and health care. Among the findings are that 28% of teachers in one study said that be…
Stress may add bite to appetite in women: A laboratory study of stress-induced cortisol and eating behavior
Obesity: Responding to the global epidemic.
Demonstrations of implicit anti-fat bias: The impact of providing causal information and evoking empathy.
Weight Bias among Health Professionals Specializing in Obesity
Purpose : To determine the level of anti‐fat bias in health professionals specializing in obesity and identify personal characteristics that correlate with both implicit and explicit bias. Research Methods and Procedures : The Implicit Associations Test (IAT) and a self‐report questionnaire assessing explicit attitudes, personal experiences with obesity, and demographic characteristics was administered to clinicians and researchers attending the …
Psychosocial origins of obesity stigma: Toward changing a powerful and pervasive bias
Widespread bias and discrimination based on weight have been documented in key areas of living, including education, employment, and health care. This paper examines the social and psychological origins of this bias through a review and critique of theoretical and empirical literatures, and proposes how the field might best advance in the area of reducing stigma. Explanations for the development and reduction of weight stigma are examined with di…
Ways of coping with obesity stigma: Review and conceptual analysis
Body Objectification and “Fat Talk”: Effects on Emotion, Motivation, and Cognitive Performance
Portrayals of Overweight and Obese Individuals on Commercial Television
Objectives. This study examined the distribution and individual characteristics of body types on prime-time television. Methods. Five episodes of each of the 10 top-rated prime-time fictional programs on 6 broadcast networks during the 1999–2000 season were quantitatively analyzed. Results. Of 1018 major television characters, 14% of females and 24% of males were overweight or obese, less than half their percentages in the general population. Ove…
Obesity and body image
The Influence of One's Own Body Weight on Implicit and Explicit Anti‐fat Bias
Objective : This study examined the influence of one's own body weight on the strength of implicit and explicit anti‐fat bias. Research Methods and Procedure : Implicit and explicit anti‐fat attitudes and obesity stereotypes were assessed among a large online sample ( N = 4283) that included representation from across the weight spectrum (from underweight to extremely obese). Respondents also indicated their willingness to make a range of persona…
Confronting and Coping with Weight Stigma: An Investigation of Overweight and Obese Adults
Objective: This study examined experiences of weight stigmatization, sources of stigma, coping strategies, psychological functioning, and eating behaviors in a sample of 2671 overweight and obese adults. Research Methods and Procedures: The total sample was partitioned into two subsamples for investigation. Sample I was comprised of 2449 adult women, and Sample II was a matched sample of adult men and women ( N = 222) that was disaggregated to in…
Stigmatized Patients' Right to Equal Treatment
Physicians should practice bias-reduction strategies in their treatment plans for and attitudes toward overweight and obese patients. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association
Effects of Soft Drink Consumption on Nutrition and Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
In a meta-analysis of 88 studies, we examined the association between soft drink consumption and nutrition and health outcomes. We found clear associations of soft drink intake with increased energy intake and body weight. Soft drink intake also was associated with lower intakes of milk, calcium, and other nutrients and with an increased risk of several medical problems (e.g., diabetes). Study design significantly influenced results: larger effec…
Perceptions of weight discrimination: Prevalence and comparison to race and gender discrimination in America
Changes in Perceived Weight Discrimination Among Americans, 1995–1996 Through 2004–2006
Objective: Little is known about the prevalence and patterns of weight discrimination in the United States. This study examined the trends in perceived weight/height discrimination among a nationally representative sample of adults aged 35–74 years, comparing experiences of discrimination based on race, age, and gender. Methods and Procedures: Data were from the two waves of the National Survey of Midlife Developmentin the United States (MIDUS), …
Sydney Principles’ for reducing the commercial promotion of foods and beverages to children
A set of seven principles (the ‘Sydney Principles’) was developed by an International Obesity Taskforce (IOTF) Working Group to guide action on changing food and beverage marketing practices that target children. The aim of the present communication is to present the Sydney Principles and report on feedback received from a global consultation (November 2006 to April 2007) on the Principles. The Principles state that actions to reduce marketing to…
Legal and Public Health Considerations Affecting the Success, Reach, and Impact of Menu-Labeling Laws
Because the rate of consumption of away-from-home meals has increased dramatically, the distinction between requiring nutrition information for packaged but not restaurant products is no longer reasonable. Public health necessitates that nutrition labels must be included with restaurant menus as a strategy to educate consumers and address the escalation of obesity. Menu-labeling laws are being considered at the local, state, and federal levels, b…
Medicine (49 works) · Psychology (40 works) · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet (26 works) · Obesity (24 works) · Business (22 works) · Eating Disorders and Behaviors (21 works) · Obesity and Health Practices (20 works) · Political science (20 works) · Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling (18 works) · Environmental health (15 works)