James Rippe

Biography

James M. Rippe, M.D., is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Medical School with post graduate training at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is currently the Founder and Director of the Rippe Lifestyle Institute and Associate Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) at Tufts University School of Medicine.

Dr. Rippe is founder and director of the Rippe Health Assessment at Celebration Health. The Rippe Health Assessment is a series of comprehensive health evaluations for high performance individuals conducted at the state-of-the-art medical and fitness facility of Celebration Health in Orlando, Florida.

Dr. Rippe is regarded as one of the leading authorities on preventive cardiology, health and fitness and healthy weight loss in the United States. Under his leadership the Rippe Lifestyle Institute has conducted numerous research projects on cardiovascular risk factor reduction, fitness walking, weight loss, running, basketball, bodybuilding, cycling, rowing, cholesterol reduction and low fat diets. Laboratory members have presented over 120 papers at national medical and scientific meetings in the last ten years. Dr. Rippe has written over 200 publications on issues in medicine, health and fitness, and weight management. He has also written 25 books including 15 medical texts and 10 books on health and fitness for the general public including: Fitness Walking, (Perigee, 1985), The Sports Performance Factors (Perigee, 1986), and Fitness Walking for Women (Perigee, 1987). Both walking books were recipients of National American Health Book Awards. His book on executive fitness, Fit for Success, was published by Prentice Hall Press in June 1989. His book on walking and weight loss, The Rockport Walking Program was published in the fall, 1989. His book, The Complete Book of Fitness Walking was published by Prentice Hall Press in June, 1990. His book, The Exercise Exchange Program, combining exercise and proper nutrition was published in February, 1992. Fit Over Forty, published in 1996, explores lifestyle issues related to cardiovascular health, particularly for individuals over the age of 40, and focuses on motivating people to take the simple steps to take charge of their health and lives. In essence, this book teaches people how to empower themselves to live a healthier lifestyle.

Dr. Rippe's book, the Healthy Heart for Dummies serves as the flagship book for the new health division for the popular "… for Dummies" series. It was published in December, 1999. The sequel to this book, the Healthy Heart Cookbook for Dummies written by Dr. Rippe in collaboration with two research dietitians and featuring low fat, heart healthy recipes from 75 of the top chefs in America was published in May 2000. His most recent book, The Joint Health Prescription, published in May 2001, offers advice on how to keep joints healthy for life.

Dr. Rippe also edits a major textbook teaching physicians about diverse aspects of cardiovascular medicine and the impact of lifestyle decisions on good health. This textbook, Lifestyle Medicine, (Blackwell Science, 1999) is the first textbook to guide physicians in the diverse aspects of how to incorporate lifestyle recommendations into the practice of modern medicine. His intensive care textbook, Irwin and Rippe's Intensive Care Medicine (4th edition, 1998; co-edited with Dr. Richard Irwin) is the world's leading textbook on intensive and coronary care.

Dr. Rippe serves as Medical Director for TBG Development and has developed corporate fitness programs for a variety of companies including Allstate Life Insurance and The Shimizu Corporation. He serves as Chairman of the Advisory Board for the "Healthy Growing Up" program--a curriculum linking health and fitness for children that was made available free of charge to every school system in the United States in 1992.

Dr. Rippe's work has been featured on The Today Show, Good Morning America, PBS "BodyWatch," CBS Morning and Evening news, CNN and in a variety of print media including the New York Times, New York Times Magazine, L.A. Times, Wall Street Journal and many monthly publications. He comments regularly on health and fitness for USA Today, American Health and Prevention. He served for three years as Medical Editor for the Television Food Network (TVFN).

In 1989 Dr. Rippe was named Fitness Educator of the Year by the International Dance Exercise Association (IDEA). In 1990 he was named one of the 10 national "Healthy American Fitness Leaders" by the United States Jaycees and the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. In 1992 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from IDEA. In 2000 he was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Central Florida for his work at the Rippe Health Assessment at Celebration Health.

A lifelong and avid athlete Dr. Rippe maintains his personal fitness with a regular walk, jog and weight training program. He holds a black belt in karate and is an avid wind surfer, skier and tennis player. He lives outside of Boston with his wife, television news anchor Stephanie Hart and their three children, Hart, Jaelin and Devon.

Titles

Fit For Success