Advisory Board

The American Council for Fitness and Nutrition (ACFN) Advisory Board includes some of the nation’s leading experts in the areas of medicine, nutrition, fitness, health, education and research. The board helps ACFN identify, develop, and shape our programs, and provides critical support in the research that drives us toward achievable solutions to overweight and obesity.

Albert Barrocas, M.D., F.A.C., F.A.C.N.

South Fulton Medical Center

Albert Barrocas MD, FACS, is the Chief Medical Officer of South Fulton Medical Center in East Point, Georgia since January 2006. Prior to his relocation to Atlanta, he had been in the private practice of General, Thoracic, and Vascular Surgery and Nutrition for thirty years in New Orleans. Dr. Barrocas received both his BA and MD from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, while following up with his residency at Emory and the USAF Medical Center at Keesler Air Force Base. He has been sought after as a speaker and presenter on nutrition and has appeared on CBS News and the FOX Network. Dr. Barrocas has over 130 works published to
his name.

George L. Blackburn, M.D., Ph.D.

Harvard Medical School

George L. Blackburn, M.D., Ph.D. serves as the S. Daniel Abraham Associate Professor of Nutrition, Associate Director of the Division of Nutrition, at Harvard Medical School. He is the Chief of the Nutrition/Metabolism Laboratory and Director of the Center for the Study of Nutrition Medicine, which are affiliated with the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. He is a Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) on the NIH-funded study of health outcomes of weight loss (Look AHEAD) and is the Associate Director for clinical studies and on the executive committee of the NIH Boston Obesity Nutrition Research Center (BONRC).He received his medical degree from the University of Kansas in 1965 and completed his internship and residency at Boston City Hospital, Harvard Medical School. In 1973, he obtained his doctorate in nutritional biochemistry from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Mary Lee Watts, MPH, R.D.

American Society for Nutrition

Mary Lee Watts is the Director of Science and Public Affairs for the American Society for Nutrition, the premier research society for nutrition science. In this role, she oversees the government relations program for the Society, including representation on Capitol Hill and with federal regulatory agencies. She also directs ASN’s public relations activities, which includes the development of position papers, partnerships with other organizations and strategic communications. She also assists with scientific matters and oversight of ASN’s growing education and professional development program.

Prior to joining the staff at ASN, Mary Lee was with the American Dietetic Association’s Policy Initiatives and Advocacy team in Washington, DC, and she previously held positions with the law firm Epstein Becker & Green and as a member of the legislative staff for U.S. Senator Zell Miller (D-GA). Mary Lee served as an at-large delegate to the 2005 White House Conference on Aging. A registered dietitian, she currently serves on the American Dietetic Association’s Legislative & Public Policy Committee.

Mary Lee holds a Master of Public Health degree in Nutrition from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology from Vanderbilt University.

Mary Lee Chin, M.S., R.D.

Nutrition Edge Communications

Mary Lee Chin consults the media regularly on significant and controversial health and food issues and nutrition trends. Her challenge is to help people attain the pleasures of eating well while making wise food choices using science-based and realistic information. Interviews include the New York Times, USA Today, and Associated Press, and she has appeared on Cable News Network (CNN), Cable Food Channel and the Knowledge Channel. Mary Lee received her undergraduate education in Foods and Nutrition from Purdue University, a MS in Clinical Nutrition from Case Western Reserve University, and her internship at the Cleveland Veteran’s Administration Hospital.

Cecilia Pozo Fileti, M.S., R.D., F.A.D.A.,

C.P. Fileti Associates, Inc.

Cecilia Pozo Fileti, a registered dietitian and fellow of the American Dietetic Association, is a nutrition and healthcare consultant serving the food, pharmaceutical and health care industries. Committed to bridging the knowledge and information gap in these industries, Ms. Fileti was the first Hispanic spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association (ADA). She is a recipient of the ADA's prestigious Medallion award and several peer reviewed honors. Her communications and regulatory response firm services a variety of Hispanic and non-Hispanic clients and industry leading organizations. Ms. Fileti received her master's from Eastern Michigan University and her undergraduate degree from the University of Dayton, Ohio and has various postgraduate certifications.

Molly Gee, ME.d R.D.

Baylor College of Medicine

Molly is a Registered Dietitian and communications consultant with more
than 25 years experience in health/nutrition communications and the clinical management of obesity. Currently, Molly is the project leader at Baylor College of Medicine for LOOK AHEAD, a NIH multi-center clinical trial examining the cardiovascular benefits of sustained weight loss in people with Type 2 diabetes. Molly is frequently asked to serve as a media spokesperson, expert reviewer or speaker by corporations, food companies, trade associations, government agencies and pharmaceutical companies. She has been widely quoted in the media, including USA Today, the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Shape, Health, Weight Watchers and Self. Molly holds a MEd in Allied Health Education from Baylor College of Medicine/University of Houston.
She completed her dietetic internship at Oklahoma State University and received a BS in dietetics from the University of Houston.

Phil Haberstro

Wellness Institute of Greater Buffalo and Western New York

Philip L. Haberstro is founder (1989) and CEO of the Wellness Institute of Greater Buffalo and WNY, Inc. The non-profit Institute provides "Healthy Community" advocacy, training and management services to public, private, civic and non-profit organizations throughout the Greater Buffalo and New York State region (creatinghealthycommunities.org). Located in historic downtown Buffalo, the Institute serves the city as a provider for their award winning employee health promotion and community building programs.

James O. Hill, Ph.D.

University of Colorado Health Sciences Center

James O. Hill, Ph.D. is Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at the
University of Colorado Denver. Dr. Hill also serves as the Director of the Center for Human Nutrition, a nutrition center funded by the National Institutes of Health. He is currently President of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN). Dr. Hill is co-founder of America on the Move, a national weight gain prevention initiative that aims to inspire Americans to make small changes in how much they eat and how much they move to prevent weight gain. He is also co-founder of the National Weight Control Registry. He holds a B.S. degree from the University of Tennessee and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of New Hampshire in Physiological Psychology.

Judith Young, Ph.D.

American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance

As Vice President of Programs for the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD), Judith C. Young, Ph.D., is responsible for integration and coordination of all Alliance programmatic initiatives within the six national associations, the six district associations, and the Research Consortium. A former teacher and coach as well as professor of kinesiology, Dr. Young received her Bachelor's degree at the University of New Hampshire in physical education and her Masters and PhD degrees at the University of Maryland in kinesiology.

Albert Barrocas, M.D., F.A.C., F.A.C.N.

South Fulton Medical Center

Albert Barrocas MD, FACS, is the Chief Medical Officer of South Fulton Medical Center in East Point, Georgia since January 2006. Prior to his relocation to Atlanta, he had been in the private practice of General, Thoracic, and Vascular Surgery and Nutrition for thirty years in New Orleans where he was the Chief Medical Officer at Methodist Hospital. Dr. Barrocas received both his BA and MD from Emory University
in Atlanta, Georgia, while following up with his residency at Emory and the USAF Medical Center at Keesler Air Force Base. He is an Honorary Member of the American Dietetic Association and past President of the American Society of Nutrition Support Services. He has served on the Board of Directors of the ADA and the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition and served on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Nutrition Screening Initiative. He has been sought after as a speaker and presenter on nutrition and has appeared on CBS News and the FOX Network. Dr. Barrocas has over 130 works published and numerous presentations to his name.