Michelle Segar, PhD, MPH, MS

Michelle Segar, motivation scientist and author of The Joy Choice: How to Finally Achieve Lasting Changes in Eating and Exercise (Hachette Go, 2022),” and “No Sweat (Amacom, 2015),” is a leading authority on what motivates people to choose and maintain healthy behaviors. Pioneering new approaches to sustainable behavior change in the health care, fitness, and wellness arenas, her uniquely comprehensive perspective is informed by almost three decades of award-winning research, individual health coaching, and consulting, positioning her to help media, professionals and organizations understand the emotional drivers and internal rewards of consumers’ health decisions.

Michelle’s translational research is widely recognized as relevant and practical. She was named inaugural chair of the United States National Physical Activity Plan’s Communication Committee, an adviser to the Department of Health and Human Services, a speaker for the World Health Organization, and director of the University of Michigan’s Sports, Health, and Activity Research and Policy Center.

Michelle’s perspective is uniquely comprehensive – For her entire career she has combined academic research with real-world health coaching to pioneer methods that create sustainable healthy behavior change, and which have been adopted to boost patient health, employee health and well-being, and gym membership retention.

Michelle translates key science into sticky consumer-friendly messages and tools for producing sustainable change in the real world. A sought-after speaker and consultant, Michelle is frequently interviewed in major media outlets like The New York Times, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, TIME Magazine, Prevention, Fast Company, Self, Real Simple, Women’s Health, CNN, Newsy, among many others

Her first book, NO SWEAT! is used as a core text in training professionals in health coaching and patient counseling. Michelle’s interdisciplinary training includes a doctorate in Psychology (PhD), a master’s degree in Health Behavior/Health Education (MPH), a master’s degree in Kinesiology (MS) and fellowships in translational research and health care policy from UM.

She speaks and consults with organizations including Kaiser Permanente, Walmart, American Telemedicine Association, Business Group on Health, Anytime Fitness, Adidas, Google, The Permanente Medical Group, and The University of Vermont Health Network. Recently, she has advised companies designing AI and other digital and coaching approaches for patient and consumer health.

Current and Past Affiliations

MEDIA EXPERT

Michelle has been a media expert for the following organizations

Society for Women’s Health Research

American College of Sports Medicine

National Council for Research on Women

Women’s Sports Foundation

POLICY-RELATED AND ADVISORY ROLES

2021-current Member, U.S. National Physical Activity Plan’s Media and Communication Committee Sector Committee

2021-current IHRSA - The Global Health & Fitness Association’s Medical, Science & Health Advisory Council

2014-current Member, Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation

PAST

Inaugural Chair, U.S. National Physical Activity Plan’s Communications Committee

Advisor, Centers for Disease Control on the Surgeon General’s 2014 Walking Call-to Action for America

Policy Fellow, Center for Healthcare Research and Transformation

State of Michigan Representative, Physical Activity Policy and Research Network

HERO (Health Enhancement Research Organization) Research Advisory Group (RAG)

American Council on Exercise (ACE), Health Coaching Certification Advisory Board

MHealthy, University of Michigan, Committee on Incentives and Engagement

National Policy Advisory Board Member, Women’s Sports Foundation

MEMBERSHIPS

2005-Current Society of Behavioral Medicine

2017-current Leaning Guild

2016-current International Positive Psychology Association

2011-current International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity