J. Justin Wilson is a Senior Research Analyst at the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) where he focuses his research on food and consumer issues. Wilson is a frequent critic of government paternalism and the “nanny state.” Wilson argues that policy makers must recognize the difference between public and private health, especially with respect to regulatory strategies aimed at addressing obesity.

Wilson is a fierce advocate for sound science in the public health arena. He recently led a campaign challenging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s erroneous statements on the human cost of obesity. As a result of CCF’s campaign, the CDC admitted that it erred in estimating the number of deaths associated with excess weight and physical inactivity.

Wilson is the author of the book “An Epidemic of Obesity Myths” which questions a number of the underlying assumptions use to justify government intervention to combat obesity, as well as “Small Choices, Big Bodies,” which examines existing literature on the causes of obesity.

Wilson is a frequent contributor to numerous print and broadcast media outlets, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, as well as ABC, NBC, CNN, and FOX News.

Wilson practices what he preaches. He is an accomplished cook, a marathon runner, and a whitewater kayaker. He grew up in Minnesota and graduated from the University of Michigan, where he studied public policy, political science, and philosophy.