Melanie R. Jay, MD

When I trained in medicine in the mid-90s, I learned to diagnose and treat diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease—but not obesity, despite it being a major underlying cause. The standard advice was simple: eat less, move more. Since I followed a healthy diet and exercised, I assumed that’s why I was thin. I had no idea how wrong I was.

As obesity rates soared, few structured weight management programs existed, especially in public hospitals. Seeing an urgent need, I co-founded the Bellevue Weight Management Program, one of the first of its kind in a safety-net hospital. That experience opened my eyes to how food insecurity, chronic stress, and systemic inequities create barriers to health—and how deeply obesity stigma is ingrained, even in medicine.

Determined to make a difference, I shifted to research, developing innovative strategies to improve obesity care in primary care settings. My studies have explored  peer coaching, financial incentives, and behavioral interventions.  I also recognized that while lifestyle changes are important, they often lead to only modest, short-term weight loss. We needed better treatments—ones that could truly change lives.

Which brings us to today.

For the first time, we have medications that target obesity at its root, reshaping how the brain and gut regulate hunger and impact metabolism. These breakthroughs are game-changing, but major barriers remain: high costs, insurance hurdles, lack of real-world data in diverse populations, and persistent stigma.

My work now focuses on measuring outcomes and  increasing access to effective obesity treatments, addressing health disparities, and reshaping how we approach obesity in medicine and policy. I lead the NYU Langone Comprehensive Program on Obesity, direct research collaborations within the Division of General Internal Medicine, and co-direct a new VA Center for Innovation to improve cancer care, recognizing obesity’s critical role in outcomes. My research, funded by the NIH and VA, has been featured in top journals and national media, including Oprah Daily, The New York Times, The Today Show, and CBS News.

In addition, we need to continue to train clinical researchers and other future leaders in healthcare and science. To this end, much of my work focuses on mentoring and training the next generation. I have a K24 grant from the NIH and also lead training programs for undergraduate and high school students affiliated with NYU Langone Brooklyn. Finally, I direct the general internal medicine fellowship program within the Division of General Internal Medicine.