David Sarwer

David B. Sarwer (born January 4, 1968, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American clinical psychologist who serves as the Associate Dean for Research, Director of the Center for Obesity Research and Education, and Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the College of Public Health at Temple University.

Education

Sarwer graduated from Forest View High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois in 1986. He received his B.A. in 1990 from Tulane University,

Much of Sarwer's work has focused on the psychosocial and behavioral aspects of extreme obesity and Bariatric surgery. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health since 2002. He was the founding Editor-in-Chief for the journal Obesity Science and Practice. He also serves as Senior Associate Editor for the journal Health Psychology, Associate Editor for the journal Obesity Surgery, and is on the Editorial Board of the American Psychologist, Childhood Obesity, and Surgery for the Treatment of Obesity and Related Diseases.

Sarwer also maintains a line of research on the psychological aspects of physical appearance and, more specifically, both reconstructive and cosmetic plastic surgery. Much of his early work in this area focused on the relationship between body image, body dysmorphic disorder, and cosmetic surgery. More recently, his work has focused more on physical disfigurement and reconstructive procedures. This includes several grants from the Department of Defense looking at the use of vascularized composite allotransplantation procedures to treat military veterans who have suffered devastating injures while in service to United States Military. Sarwer currently serves on the Editorial Board of the Aesthetic Surgery Journal and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Selected publications

Books

Still CD, Sarwer DB, Blankenship J (eds). The SMBS Textbook of Bariatric Surgery. Volume 2: Integrative Health. Springer, New York, NY, 2014. ISBN 978-1493911967.

Obesity and bariatric surgery

Body image and plastic surgery