Dr. Leann Birch was a pioneering developmental psychologist and internationally renowned expert in children's eating behaviors and childhood obesity prevention. She served as Professor of Foods and Nutrition at the University of Georgia and director of the campus-wide Obesity Initiative from 2014 until her passing in 2019, following distinguished appointments at Pennsylvania State University where she was Distinguished Professor of Human Development and director of the Center for Childhood Obesity Research. Born Leann Elsie Traub on June 25, 1946, in Owosso, Michigan, she earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from California State University, Long Beach in 1971, followed by master's and doctoral degrees in psychology from the University of Michigan in 1973 and 1975 respectively. Her career spanned over four decades, beginning at the University of Illinois where she spent 16 years establishing her renowned research program before moving to Penn State for more than two decades.
Dr. Birch's groundbreaking research established the scientific foundation for understanding how behavioral factors influence food intake from infancy through adolescence, with landmark studies among the first to demonstrate the effects of repeated exposure, associative conditioning, social influences, portion size, and energy density on children's food preferences. Her innovative experimental and longitudinal work spanned more than four decades, producing over 250 publications that have garnered more than 51,000 citations, reflecting the profound impact of her contributions. She secured more than $30 million in federal research funding to investigate the development of food acceptance patterns and behavioral controls of food intake, creating the evidence base for successful childhood obesity prevention programs. Her work fundamentally transformed the understanding of how children develop eating behaviors and how these patterns can be shaped to promote healthier outcomes.
Dr. Birch's research has had extraordinary real-world impact, with her findings informing federal dietary guidelines, position statements from leading professional organizations, early-childhood education policies, pediatric anticipatory guidance, and popular literature on child feeding practices. She established an entire field of study on the development of food acceptance patterns that has guided generations of researchers and practitioners in childhood nutrition and obesity prevention. Her evidence-based approaches have been incorporated into successful childhood obesity prevention programs worldwide, demonstrating the practical application of her rigorous scientific work. As a dedicated mentor and scientific leader, Dr. Birch's legacy endures through the countless researchers she trained and the continued implementation of her evidence-based approaches to understanding and addressing childhood obesity, cementing her status as one of the most influential figures in the field of developmental nutrition.
