James Rippe

Education

Rippe received his B.A. from Harvard College in 1969 and his M.D. from Harvard Medical School in 1979.

Career

From 1983 to 1993, Rippe worked at the Exercise Physiology and Nutrition Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He was an associate professor of medicine at Tufts University from 1994 to 2012. From 2005 to 2010, he was a professor of biomedical sciences at the University of Central Florida, where he was also the chairman of the Center for Lifestyle Medicine.

Research and views

Rippe's research has found that the health benefits of exercise extend to mild exercise, such as walking, and that the benefit from walking is about the same regardless of the speed of walking. He has been described as "a founder of the fitness walking movement." He has said that the adverse health effects of physical inactivity are comparable to those of smoking a pack of cigarettes per day.

Editorial activities

Rippe is the editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, as well as the co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Intensive Care Medicine. Dr. Rippe has published over 50 books, including Encyclopedia of Lifestyle Medicine and Health, Lifestyle Medicine, Second Edition, and Nutrition in Lifestyle Medicine

Publications

Dr. Rippe has written over 400 academic publications on issues in medicine, health and fitness, nutrition and weight management. He has also written or edited 51 books including 33 medical texts and 18 books on health and fitness for the general public.

A sampling of Dr. Rippe’s publications include:

Lifestyle Medicine, Second Edition

Designed for physicians and other health care workers, Lifestyle Medicine, Second Edition brings together evidence-based research in multiple health-related fields to assist practitioners both in treating disease and promoting good health. Sections cover nutrition and exercise, behavioral psychology, public policy, and management of a range of disorders, including cardiovascular disease, endocrine and metabolic dysfunction, obesity, cancer, immunology and infectious diseases, pulmonary disorders, and many more.

Obesity: Prevention and Treatment

This academic textbook edited by Dr. Rippe provides modern understandings of both the prevention and treatment of obesity. It is designed for clinicians in all fields of medicine as well as other healthcare professionals.

Encyclopedia of Lifestyle Medicine and Health

This two volume, comprehensive Encyclopedia, edited by Dr. Rippe, contains over 350 essays written by 255 experts in various aspects of lifestyle medicine and was published in December 2011. It is available at many university libraries as well as in large public libraries. This is the first Encyclopedia available to the general public providing the scientific basis of the connection between lifestyle and health.

Irwin and Rippe’s Intensive Care Medicine (7th edition)

This massive, 2500 page ICU textbook is the leading intensive care textbook in the world. It is co-edited by Dr. Rippe and Dr. Richard Irwin and combines the expertise of over 250 contributors whose chapters cover the key issues in intensive care medicine.

Journal of Intensive Care Medicine

Dr. Rippe has been the Editor of the Journal of Intensive Care Medicine for the past 31 years. This is a journal for physicians practicing in the intensive care unit environment.

American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine

In January 2007, Sage Publications launched the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. This is a bi-monthly publication which goes to 20,000 health care providers. Dr. Rippe serves as the Editor in Chief of AJLM.

Preventing & Reversing Heart Disease For Dummies

Preventing & Reversing Heart Disease For Dummies written by Dr. Rippe, includes the most up-to-date information on coronary heart disease and its treatment. This resource covers new ways to diagnose and treat both short- and long-term complications of heart disease, the latest medications, updated diet and exercise plans, the lowdown on recognizing the risk factors and warning signs of a heart attack, determining if you have heart disease, distinguishing between angina, heart attack, and stroke, and much more.

High Performance Health

Dr. Rippe’s trade book, High Performance Health, was published in June 2007 and was the lead book on Thomas Nelson’s spring/summer list for 2007. In this landmark, book Dr. Rippe offers guidance for individuals seeking to turn their health into a high performance tool.

Heart Disease for Dummies, 2nd Edition

The startling truth is, one American dies of heart disease every 33 seconds—almost one million deaths each year—and almost one in four Americans has one or more types of heart disease. However, it’s also true that it is possible to prevent, treat, and even reverse heart disease—and this plain English guide written by Dr. Rippe, shows you how!

Fit Over Forty

Fit Over Forty was published in 1996. It contains the results of the landmark study conducted at Rippe Lifestyle Institute that established the first-ever-comprehensive fitness standards for individuals between the ages of 40 and 79. Forwards to Fit Over Forty were written by baseball legend Nolan Ryan and skating legend Peggy Fleming.

WebMD

Dr. Rippe has served on the Scientific Advisory Board of WebMD since 1999. Videos featuring Dr. Rippe’s comments on various health topics can be found on WebMD.com.

To see Dr. Rippe discussing other health topics on WebMD, click on these links:

Living to a Ripe Old Age

The Mind Body Connection

What Works for Weight Loss

What Women Can Do for Their Health

How to Lower Your Risk of Diabetes

5 Ways to Lower Heart Disease Risk

Too Stressed to Work Out?

Do You Hate to Work Out?

Exercising with Health Problems

Are You Too Busy to Exercise?