Rebecca M. Puhl is a researcher in the field of

weight bias Social stigma of obesity is broadly defined as bias or discriminatory behaviors targeted at overweight and obese individuals because of their weight. Such social stigmas can span one's entire life, as long as excess weight is present, starting ...

Biography

Puhl received her bachelor's degree from Queen's University in Canada in 1999. She then attended

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

, where she received her master's degree in Psychology in 2001 and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2004. She is a professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences and deputy director of the

Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health The Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health, formerly named the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, is a non-profit research and public policy organization that promotes solutions to Food security, food insecurity, poor diet quality, and we ...

at the

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...

. Puhl's research focuses on weight-based bullying, discrimination and bias. Furthermore, she examines the health effects of weight bias and works to develop evidence-based training programs to reduce its effects. Additionally, she routinely testifies in state legislative hearings on weight bias. Throughout the course of her career, Puhl has authored over 170 peer-reviewed studies and been cited over 32,000 times. This work led to her being named to a list of the world's most highly cited researchers in 2021. In 2018, Puhl was the recipient of

The Obesity Society The Obesity Society is a scientific society dedicated to the study of obesity and its treatment. It was founded in 1982 and has approximately 2,500 members. The official scientific journal of the society is ''Obesity'', which is available in print ...

Scientific Achievement Award, which recognizes excellence in an established research career. In 2021, she was the recipient of the Distinguished Lecturer Award for

Obesity Canada Obesity Canada - Obésité Canada (OC), formerly known as the Canadian Obesity Network - Réseau canadien en obésité (CON-RCO), is a Canadian charitable organization. It connects members of the public affected by obesity, researchers, health pr ...

References

Yale University alumni Queen's University at Kingston alumni University of Connecticut faculty Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Canadian psychologists {{Improve categories, date=October 2022