Lawrence J. Cheskin, M.D., is founder and Director of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center (JHWMC) in Baltimore. He graduated from Dartmouth Medical School and completed a fellowship in gastroenterology at Yale-New Haven Hospital. He is associate professor of health, behavior, and society, with joint appointments in the Center for Human Nutrition at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and in medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
The mission of the JHWMC is to engage individuals in a collaborative effort to achieve optimal health through a multi-disciplinary team approach that builds weight management skills to last a lifetime. This approach has served as a model for other programs, and attracts patients from around the world. Patients undergo a comprehensive assessment covering the central factors influencing weight control (medical and genetic factors, body composition and metabolism, dietary factors, behavioral patterns, mental health, and physical activity). The professional staff uses this information to construct and implement individualized plans for weight loss and maintenance. Center analyses show that clients lose, on average, 45 pounds over 22 weeks, with a majority of the weight loss maintained by many individuals for one to six years afterwards.
For more information, visit: http://www.jhsph.edu/weight.
Cheskin’s research has included the effects of medications on weight, the relationship of smoking to dieting and weight, the use of text messaging (mHealth) to reinforce healthful behaviors, and the efficacy of lifestyle changes and food substitutions in weight loss and maintenance. He codirects a course for medical students at Johns Hopkins on weight control, and is author of several books, including Losing Weight for Good: Developing your Personal Plan of Action. He has appeared on numerous TV news shows and lectures to professional and lay audiences on diet and weight control.
