James A. Rippe is an American physician, public‑health researcher, and author specializing in preventive medicine, nutrition, and physical activity. He holds an M.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine and a Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) from Harvard School of Public Health. Rippe has served as an adjunct professor of public health at Harvard and as a faculty member in the Department of Exercise Science at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Rippe is the founder and president of the Rippe Lifestyle Institute, a consulting firm that develops wellness programs for corporations, municipalities, and health‑care organizations. He is a frequent media commentator on topics such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and the health effects of diet and exercise, appearing in outlets including The New York Times, USA Today, and NPR.
As an author, Rippe has written or co‑authored several books aimed at a general audience, including The Rippe Diet (1998), The Exercise Cure (2003), and The Fast‑Track Weight‑Loss Plan (2018). He has also published scholarly articles in peer‑reviewed journals on the epidemiology of heart disease, the impact of physical activity on mortality, and the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions for chronic disease prevention.
Rippe’s professional activities have been recognized with awards such as the American College of Sports Medicine‑American Heart Association "Research and Practice" award (2005) and the American Society for Nutrition "Distinguished Achievement" award (2012).
