Elisabetta Politi, RD, MPH, CDE, LDN, is the Nutrition Manager at the Duke Diet & Fitness Center. She has 14 years of experience as a registered dietitian and has dedicated her career to the prevention of chronic diseases through diet and weight management. She is thrilled at the opportunity to share her weight-loss knowledge and nutritional expertise with you.

Gerald Endress, MS, RCEP, is the Fitness Manager at the Duke Diet & Fitness Center. He's passionate about using mind-body techniques to help people reduce stress and improve their overall wellness, and he creates customized fitness routines for his clients based on their fitness level and goals. His fitness philosophy incorporates cardio, strength training, and stretching. When you become an online member, he'll share his knowledge and favorite exercises with you.

 
Martin Binks, PhD, is Director of Behavioral Health, Research Director, and Director of New Business and Strategic Alliances at the DukeDiet & FitnessCenter.  He is a licensed psychologist. Dr. Binks is committed to providing care to his patients and to examining the effectiveness of the Duke Diet & Fitness Center residential program. He also enjoys educating health care professionals and lecturing nationally in the topics of obesity management and behavioral medicine. Dr. Binks has developed assessments and weekly lessons to help Duke Diet & Fitness Online clients achieve weight loss, and he looks forward to sharing his knowledge with you.

His Credentials: Assistant professor in the Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Duke University Medical Center; PhD in clinical psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University; completed his predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina, Weight Management Center, and remained there as a faculty member until joining the faculty at Duke in 2003.

 
Ronald Sha, MD, PhD, is the Medical Director of the Duke Diet & Fitness Center. Dr. Sha specializes in the treatment of obesity and related medical problems, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. He helps his clients explore all their medical options and to better understand how their weight is linked to their overall health. His up-to-date weight-loss information is based on the most recent research and will help Duke Diet & Fitness Online members reach their personal goals.

His Credentials: Clinical assistant professor in Duke's Department of Community and Family Medicine; b achelor's degree (summa cum laude), doctorate in medicine, and a doctorate from the University of Minnesota in Molecular Biology, for which he studied metabolism in fat cells; created a successful private medical practice. 

Howard Eisenson, MD, is Program Director of the Duke Diet & Fitness Center and works directly with residential patients on a daily basis. He is passionate about patient education, care of the "whole patient," and the management of chronic diseases. Dr. Eisenson lectures extensively on the subject of obesity, physical activity, and healthy behavior change. He is confident of the Duke Center's four-component approach to weight loss — and is eager to share this philosophy with his larger, online clientele.

His Credentials: Assistant professor and chief of the Obesity Treatment Division in Duke's Department of Community and Family Medicine; Bachelor's degree (summa cum laude) from Union College in Schenectady, New York; medical degree from Duke Medical School; completed residency training in Family Medicine at Duke; joined the faculty at the Duke Family Medicine Center; served as Director of the Duke University Student Health Program; practiced family medicine in the community as well as in an academic setting. DFC Director since 1999.