Education

  • Hunter College, City University of New York, B.A. Chemistry: 1962-1966
  • Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, M.D. 1969-1971

Research Interests

Dr. Heymsfield's research focuses primarily on human obesity, including energy balance regulation, weight loss treatments, co-morbidity effects, and development of related mathematical models. He also has a long term interest in the development of methods for evaluating body composition and the application of new technologies such as 3D optical imaging, fMRI, and PET to the study of human metabolism.

Selected Publications

1: Heymsfield SB, Thomas DM, Bosy-Westphal A, Müller MJ. The anatomy of resting energy expenditure: body composition mechanisms. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2018 Sep 25.doi: 10.1038/s41430-018-0319-3. [Epub ahead of print] Review. PubMed PMID: 30254244.

2: Heymsfield SB. A child's walk through nature inspires a research career. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2018 Sep 12.d oi: .1038/s41430-018-0301-0. PubMed PMID: 30209360.

3: Heymsfield SB. Energy expenditure-body size associations: molecular coordination. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2018 Sep;72(9):1314-1319. doi: 10.1038/s41430-018-0214-y. Epub 2018 Sep 5. PubMed PMID: 30185844.

4: Heymsfield SB, Wadden TA. Mechanisms, Pathophysiology, and management of Obesity. N Engl J Med. 2017 Jan 19;376(3):254-266. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1514009. PubMed PMID: 28099824.

5: Casazza K, Fontaine KR, Astrup A, Birch LL, Brown AW, Bohan Brown MM, Durant N, Dutton G, Foster EM, Heymsfield SB, McIver K, Mehta T, Menachemi N, Newby PK, Pate R, Rolls BJ, Sen B, Smith DL Jr, Thomas DM, Allison DB. Myths, presumptions, and facts about obesity. N Engl J Med. 2013 Jan 31;368(5):446-54. doi: 10.1056/NEJMsa1208051. PubMed PMID: 23363498; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3606061.

6: Lichtman SW, Pisarska K, Berman ER, Pestone M, Dowling H, Offenbacher E, Weisel H, Heshka S, Matthews DE, Heymsfield SB. Discrepancy between self-reported and actual caloric intake and exercise in obese subjects. N Engl J Med. 1992 Dec 31;327(27):1893-8. PubMed PMID: 1454084.

7: Smith JL, Arteaga C, Heymsfield SB. Increased ureagenesis and impaired nitrogen use during infusion of a synthetic amino acid formula: a controlled trial. N Engl J Med. 1982 Apr 29;306(17):1013-8. PubMed PMID: 6801516.

8: Peterson CM, Su H, Thomas DM, Heo M, Golnabi AH, Pietrobelli A, Heymsfield SB. Tri-Ponderal Mass Index vs Body Mass Index in Estimating Body Fat During Adolescence. JAMA Pediatr. 2017 Jul 1;171(7):629-636. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.0460. PubMed PMID: 28505241; PubMed Central PMCID:PMC5710345.

9: Rundle AG, Heymsfield SB. Can Walkable Urban Design Play a Role in Reducing the Incidence of Obesity-Related Conditions? JAMA. 2016 May 24-31;315(20):2175-7.doi: jama.2016.5635. PubMed PMID: 27218628; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5793858.

10: Ettinger MP, Littlejohn TW, Schwartz SL, Weiss SR, McIlwain HH, Heymsfield SB, Bray GA, Roberts WG, Heyman ER, Stambler N, Heshka S, Vicary C, Guler HP. Recombinant variant of ciliary neurotrophic factor for weight loss in obese adults: a randomized, dose-ranging study. JAMA. 2003 Apr 9;289(14):1826-32. PubMed PMID: 12684362.

11: Heymsfield SB, Greenberg AS, Fujioka K, Dixon RM, Kushner R, Hunt T, Lubina JA, Patane J, Self B, Hunt P, McCamish M. Recombinant leptin for weight loss in obese and lean adults: a randomized, controlled, dose-escalation trial. JAMA. 1999 Oct 27;282(16):1568-75. PubMed PMID: 10546697.

12: Davidson MH, Hauptman J, DiGirolamo M, Foreyt JP, Halsted CH, Heber D, Heimburger DC, Lucas CP, Robbins DC, Chung J, Heymsfield SB. Weight control and risk factor reduction in obese subjects treated for 2 years with orlistat: a
randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 1999 Jan 20;281(3):235-42.

13: Heymsfield SB, Allison DB, Vasselli JR, Pietrobelli A, Greenfield D, Nunez C. Garcinia cambogia (hydroxycitric acid) as a potential antiobesity agent: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 1998 Nov 11;280(18):1596-600. PubMed PMID:9820262.

14: Allison DB, Heshka S, Sepulveda D, Heymsfield SB. Counting calories--caveat emptor. JAMA. 1993 Sep 22-29;270(12):1454-6. PubMed PMID: 8371446.

15: Hall KD, Heymsfield SB. Models use leptin and calculus to count calories. Cell Metab. 2009 Jan 7;9(1):3-4. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2008.12.006. PubMed PMID: 19117539.

16: Nass R, Pezzoli SS, Oliveri MC, Patrie JT, Harrell FE Jr, Clasey JL, Heymsfield SB, Bach MA, Vance ML, Thorner MO. Effects of an oral ghrelin mimetic on body composition and clinical outcomes in healthy older adults: a randomized
trial. Ann Intern Med. 2008 Nov 4;149(9):601-11. PubMed PMID: 18981485; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2757071.

17: Addy C, Wright H, Van Laere K, Gantz I, Erondu N, Musser BJ, Lu K, Yuan J, Sanabria-Bohórquez SM, Stoch A, Stevens C, Fong TM, De Lepeleire I, Cilissen C, Cote J, Rosko K, Gendrano IN 3rd, Nguyen AM, Gumbiner B, Rothenberg P, de Hoon J,
Bormans G, Depré M, Eng WS, Ravussin E, Klein S, Blundell J, Herman GA, Burns HD, Hargreaves RJ, Wagner J, Gottesdiener K, Amatruda JM, Heymsfield SB. The acyclic CB1R inverse agonist taranabant mediates weight loss by increasing energy
expenditure and decreasing caloric intake. Cell Metab. 2008 Jan;7(1):68-78. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2007.11.012. PubMed PMID: 18177726.

18: Erondu N, Gantz I, Musser B, Suryawanshi S, Mallick M, Addy C, Cote J, Bray G, Fujioka K, Bays H, Hollander P, Sanabria-Bohórquez SM, Eng W, Långström B, Hargreaves RJ, Burns HD, Kanatani A, Fukami T, MacNeil DJ, Gottesdiener KM, Amatruda JM, Kaufman KD, Heymsfield SB. Neuropeptide Y5 receptor antagonism does not induce clinically meaningful weight loss in overweight and obese adults. Cell Metab. 2006 Oct;4(4):275-82. PubMed PMID: 17011500.

19: Chua SC Jr, Liu SM, Li Q, Sun A, DeNino WF, Heymsfield SB, Guo XE. Transgenic complementation of leptin receptor deficiency. II. Increased leptin receptor transgene dose effects on obesity/diabetes and fertility/lactation in lepr-db/db mice. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2004 Mar;286(3):E384-92. Epub 2003 Nov 4.
PubMed PMID: 14600075.