William H. Dietz, a professor in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Science at the Milken Institute School of Public Health, has received the Distinguished Graduate Award from the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.
The award is the medical school’s highest honor and recognizes alumni whose careers have made a national or international impact in biomedical research, clinical practice or medical education.
Dietz, who also serves as director of research and policy at the Global Food Institute and director of the STOP Obesity Alliance, was recognized for his decades of leadership in obesity prevention and nutrition science.
He previously directed the Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention & Wellness. Dietz also held key public health roles in Washington, D.C., and at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where he led the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity from 1997 to 2012.
A member of the National Academy of Medicine and former co-chair of The Lancet Commission on Obesity, Dietz has authored more than 300 publications and edited several books in the fields of nutrition and obesity prevention.