Research Faculty

David Ludwig, MD, PhD

Department Endocrinology
Hospital Title

The John Fielding Crigler, Jr. & Mary Adele Sippel Crigler Chair in Pediatric Endocrinology; Director, Optimal Weight for Life (OWL) Clinic; Director, New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center Boston Children's Hospital
Academic Title

Professor of Pediatrics  (Harvard Medical School); Professor of Nutrition (Harvard School of Public Health)
Phone 617-355-4878
Fax 617-730-0358
Email David Ludwig
Location 300 Longwood Avenue
LO-624
Boston MA 02115

Research Overview

David Ludwig developed the Children's Optimal Weight for Life (OWL) Program --a multi-disciplinary care clinic dedicated to the evaluation and treatment of children who are overweight/obese. Not only does the program provide state-of-the-art care for overweight children, it also serves as a setting for clinical research to develop innovative treatments for pediatric obesity. He has also been the a principal or co-investigator of several epidemiological and clinical studies to identify dietary factors that contribute to obesity. His research has determined that:

  • A low-glycemic index diet may be as or more effective than the standard reduced-fat diet for weight loss in children and adolescents.
  • Consumption of soft drinks is directly related to obesity in children.
  • Fast food consumption is associated with factors that increase risk of childhood obesity.
  • Consumption of dairy products may offer protection against insulin resistance in overweight adults.

About David Ludwig

David Ludwig received a PhD and an MD from Stanford University School of Medicine. He completed an internship and residency in pediatrics and a fellowship in pedriatric endocrinology at Boston Children's Hospital.

Key Publications

  • Weight-loss maintenance: mind over matter? NEJM 2010, 363:2159-2161
  • Technology, diet, and the burden of chronic disease. JAMA 2011, 305:1352-1353
  • The supplemental nutrition assistance program, soda, and USDA policy: who benefits? JAMA 2011, 306:1370-1
  • Effects of dietary composition on energy expenditure during weight-loss maintenance. JAMA 2012, 207:2627-2634