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Robert C. Whitaker, MD, MPH

Professor, Department of Public Health

Professor, Department of Pediatrics

Professor, Center for Obesity Research and Education

Telephone:  215-707-8676

Fax: 215-707-6475

Email: rwhitaker@temple.edu

Department of Public Health

Department of Pediatrics

Center for Obesity Research and Education

BA, Chemistry, Williams College, Williamstown, MA, 1983

 

MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 1987

 

Residency, Pediatrics, University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals, Seattle, WA, 1987-1990

 

Fellow, Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 1990-1992

 

MPH, University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Seattle, WA, 1992

 

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Dr. Whitaker's research interests are in the childhood antecedents of adult chronic disease. He has conducted much of his research on childhood obesity. This has included studies on the epidemiology of childhood obesity, parent-child feeding interaction, and obesity prevention strategies in low-income preschool children. His work has also focused on the determinants of social and emotional wellbeing in children.

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• American Board of Pediatrics

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• Phi Beta Kappa, Williams College, 1982
• Magna Cum Laude, Williams College, 1983
• Merck Prize for Academic Excellence, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (awarded to the top three students in the graduating class), 1987
• Alpha Omega Alpha, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1987
• Outstanding Presentation by Student, Resident, or Fellow, Ambulatory Pediatric Association, District IX and X Annual Meeting, 1992
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Generalist Physician Faculty Scholars Award, 1994
• Outstanding Teacher Award from the Pediatric Housestaff, University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals, 1995
• Bronze Telly Award for video entitled “Beyond Nutrition Counseling: Reframing the Battle Against Obesity”, 2000
• Friend of WIC Award, National WIC Association, 2003
• Most influential article published in 2008 by a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grantee [School Food Environments and Policies in U.S. Public Schools, Pediatrics], 2009
• Excellence in Teaching Award, College of Health Professions and Social Work, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 2011
  
  

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• American Academy of Pediatrics (Fellow, 7/1/94), 1987-present
• Ambulatory Pediatric Association, 1990-2003
• Washington State Medical Association, 1992-1996
• Society of Behavioral Medicine, 1993-1994
• The Obesity Society, 1994
• Member, Society for Pediatric Research, 2000-2002
  
  

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Recent Medically Related Publications, Obtained from PubMed (Click on PubMed ID to view abstract)

23377729. Dias JJ, Whitaker RC, Black mothers' perceptions about urban neighborhood safety and outdoor play for their preadolescent daughters. J Health Care Poor Underserved 24:1(206-19)2013 Feb

23157723. Herman AN, Malhotra K, Wright G, Fisher JO, Whitaker RC, A qualitative study of the aspirations and challenges of low-income mothers in feeding their preschool-aged children. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 9:(132)2012 Nov 16

23000895. Marino AJ, Fletcher EN, Whitaker RC, Anderson SE, Amount and environmental predictors of outdoor playtime at home and school: a cross-sectional analysis of a national sample of preschool-aged children attending Head Start. Health Place 18:6(1224-30)2012 Nov

22961569. O'Brien MJ, Davey A, Alos VA, Whitaker RC, Diabetes-related behaviors in Latinas and non-Latinas in California. Diabetes Care 36:2(355-61)2013 Feb

22840884. Gooze RA, Hughes CC, Finkelstein DM, Whitaker RC, Obesity and food insecurity at the same table: how head start programs respond. Prev Chronic Dis 9:(E132)2012

22566552. Whitaker RC, Wright JA, Why feed breast milk from a bottle? Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 166:5(483-4)2012 May

22201144. Anderson SE, Gooze RA, Lemeshow S, Whitaker RC, Quality of early maternal-child relationship and risk of adolescent obesity. Pediatrics 129:1(132-40)2012 Jan

22160656. Herring SJ, Henry TQ, Klotz AA, Foster GD, Whitaker RC, Perceptions of low-income African-American mothers about excessive gestational weight gain. Matern Child Health J 16:9(1837-43)2012 Dec

22065178. Whitaker RC, The childhood obesity epidemic: lessons for preventing socially determined health conditions. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 165:11(973-5)2011 Nov

22010917. Ludwig J, Sanbonmatsu L, Gennetian L, Adam E, Duncan GJ, Katz LF, Kessler RC, Kling JR, Lindau ST, Whitaker RC, McDade TW, Neighborhoods, obesity, and diabetes--a randomized social experiment. N Engl J Med 365:16(1509-19)2011 Oct 20

21935750. O'Brien MJ, Whitaker RC, The role of community-based participatory research to inform local health policy: a case study. J Gen Intern Med 26:12(1498-501)2011 Dec

21543085. Gooze RA, Anderson SE, Whitaker RC, Prolonged bottle use and obesity at 5.5 years of age in US children. J Pediatr 159:3(431-6)2011 Sep

21383273. Anderson SE, Whitaker RC, Attachment security and obesity in US preschool-aged children. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 165:3(235-42)2011 Mar

21135348. Whitaker RC, The infancy of obesity prevention. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 164:12(1167-9)2010 Dec

20394693. Gooze RA, Hughes CC, Finkelstein DM, Whitaker RC, Reaching staff, parents, and community partners to prevent childhood obesity in Head Start, 2008. Prev Chronic Dis 7:3(A54)2010 May

20194987. Hughes CC, Gooze RA, Finkelstein DM, Whitaker RC, Barriers to obesity prevention in Head Start. Health Aff (Millwood) 29:3(454-62)2010 Mar-Apr

20147505. Hughes CC, Sherman SN, Whitaker RC, How low-income mothers with overweight preschool children make sense of obesity. Qual Health Res 20:4(465-78)2010 Apr

20142280. Anderson SE, Whitaker RC, Household routines and obesity in US preschool-aged children. Pediatrics 125:3(420-8)2010 Mar

19996052. Whitaker RC, Gooze RA, Hughes CC, Finkelstein DM, A national survey of obesity prevention practices in Head Start. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 163:12(1144-50)2009 Dec

19349570. Whitaker RC, Gooze RA, Self-regulation and obesity prevention: a valuable intersection between developmental psychology and pediatrics. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 163:4(386-7)2009 Apr

19349563. Anderson SE, Whitaker RC, Prevalence of obesity among US preschool children in different racial and ethnic groups. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 163:4(344-8)2009 Apr

18595970. Finkelstein DM, Hill EL, Whitaker RC, School food environments and policies in US public schools. Pediatrics 122:1(e251-9)2008 Jul

18023869. Whitaker RC, Phillips SM, Orzol SM, Burdette HL, The association between maltreatment and obesity among preschool children. Child Abuse Negl 31:11-12(1187-99)2007 Nov-Dec

17985499. Burdette HL, Whitaker RC, Differences by race and ethnicity in the relationship between breastfeeding and obesity in preschool children. Ethn Dis 17:3(467-70)2007 Summer

17709454. Whitaker RC, Sarin A, Change in food security status and change in weight are not associated in urban women with preschool children. J Nutr 137:9(2134-9)2007 Sep

17698183. Whitaker RC, Orzol SM, Kahn RS, The co-occurrence of smoking and a major depressive episode among mothers 15 months after delivery. Prev Med 45:6(476-80)2007 Dec

17218323. Whitaker RC, Commentary: Should I blame mom or dad? Identifying the relative contribution of each parent's body size to that of their offspring. Int J Epidemiol 36:1(108-9)2007 Feb

17168622. Strachan JP, Whitaker RC, Miller CH, Bhatti BS, Synthesis of bicyclic tertiary alpha-amino acids. J Org Chem 71:26(9909-11)2006 Dec 22

17135620. Powers SW, Chamberlin LA, van Schaick KB, Sherman SN, Whitaker RC, Maternal feeding strategies, child eating behaviors, and child BMI in low-income African-American preschoolers. Obesity (Silver Spring) 14:11(2026-33)2006 Nov

16950971. Whitaker RC, Phillips SM, Orzol SM, Food insecurity and the risks of depression and anxiety in mothers and behavior problems in their preschool-aged children. Pediatrics 118:3(e859-68)2006 Sep

16754818. Whitaker RC, Orzol SM, Obesity among US urban preschool children: relationships to race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 160:6(578-84)2006 Jun

16651512. Whitaker RC, Orzol SM, Kahn RS, Maternal mental health, substance use, and domestic violence in the year after delivery and subsequent behavior problems in children at age 3 years. Arch Gen Psychiatry 63:5(551-60)2006 May

16651495. Burdette HL, Whitaker RC, Hall WC, Daniels SR, Maternal infant-feeding style and children's adiposity at 5 years of age. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 160:5(513-20)2006 May

16648624. Burdette HL, Wadden TA, Whitaker RC, Neighborhood safety, collective efficacy, and obesity in women with young children. Obesity (Silver Spring) 14:3(518-25)2006 Mar

16522900. Burdette HL, Whitaker RC, Hall WC, Daniels SR, Breastfeeding, introduction of complementary foods, and adiposity at 5 y of age. Am J Clin Nutr 83:3(550-8)2006 Mar

16140705. Burdette HL, Whitaker RC, A national study of neighborhood safety, outdoor play, television viewing, and obesity in preschool children. Pediatrics 116:3(657-62)2005 Sep

15630057. Burdette HL, Whitaker RC, Resurrecting free play in young children: looking beyond fitness and fatness to attention, affiliation, and affect. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 159:1(46-50)2005 Jan

15483218. Bogen DL, Hanusa BH, Whitaker RC, The effect of breast-feeding with and without formula use on the risk of obesity at 4 years of age. Obes Res 12:9(1527-35)2004 Sep

15289259. Whitaker RC, Mental health and obesity in pediatric primary care: a gap between importance and action. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 158:8(826-8)2004 Aug

15289242. Kahn RS, Brandt D, Whitaker RC, Combined effect of mothers' and fathers' mental health symptoms on children's behavioral and emotional well-being. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 158:8(721-9)2004 Aug

15231970. Whitaker RC, Predicting preschooler obesity at birth: the role of maternal obesity in early pregnancy. Pediatrics 114:1(e29-36)2004 Jul

15183915. Jain A, Sherman SN, Chamberlin LA, Whitaker RC, Mothers misunderstand questions on a feeding questionnaire. Appetite 42:3(249-54)2004 Jun

15066875. Burdette HL, Whitaker RC, Daniels SR, Parental report of outdoor playtime as a measure of physical activity in preschool-aged children. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 158:4(353-7)2004 Apr

14993860. Whitaker RC, Sherman SN, Chamberlin LA, Powers SW, Altering the perceptions of WIC health professionals about childhood obesity using video with facilitated group discussion. J Am Diet Assoc 104:3(379-86)2004 Mar

14672642. Burdette HL, Whitaker RC, Neighborhood playgrounds, fast food restaurants, and crime: relationships to overweight in low-income preschool children. Prev Med 38:1(57-63)2004 Jan

14616047. Burdette HL, Whitaker RC, Harvey-Berino J, Kahn RS, Depressive symptoms in low-income mothers and emotional and social functioning in their preschool children. Ambul Pediatr 3:6(288-94)2003 Nov-Dec

12963595. Burdette HL, Whitaker RC, Kahn RS, Harvey-Berino J, Association of maternal obesity and depressive symptoms with television-viewing time in low-income preschool children. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 157:9(894-9)2003 Sep

12912775. Whitaker RC, Obesity prevention in pediatric primary care: four behaviors to target. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 157:8(725-7)2003 Aug

12708891. Grupp-Phelan J, Whitaker RC, Naish AB, Depression in mothers of children presenting for emergency and primary care: impact on mothers' perceptions of caring for their children. Ambul Pediatr 3:3(142-6)2003 May-Jun

12406812. Kahn RS, Certain L, Whitaker RC, A reexamination of smoking before, during, and after pregnancy. Am J Public Health 92:11(1801-8)2002 Nov

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