Larry Cheskin, MD

Lawrence J. Cheskin, MD, FACP, FTOS, is now an adjunct professor of gastroenterology and general internal medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Since 2019, he has also been a professor (and chair from 2019 to 2024) of Nutrition and Food Studies in the College of Public Health at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. In his research, Dr. Cheskin studies the effectiveness of various lifestyle and dietary changes in weight loss and weight maintenance. He has experience in the design and implementation of controlled clinical trials and laboratory studies of different dietary techniques, as well as individual and community-based interventions, including those targeting underserved residents of inner-city and suburban Baltimore. His background and experience are broad, ranging from basic science work on dopamine genetics to efforts aimed at preventing childhood obesity through systems-focused studies of the effects of policies and the built environment. Most recently, he has been studying health risk factors among young adult college students and the utility of mHealth in positively influencing diet and weight control. He has written approximately 250 peer-reviewed publications and 9 books and is frequently cited in the media on issues related to obesity, nutrition, and dieting.