About

Dr. Ronette Kolotkin, the sole proprietor of Quality of Life Consulting, PLLC, is a research and practicing psychologist who focuses on understanding, measuring and optimizing health-related quality of life. She consults with pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions and other organizations on measurement and interpretation of quality of life assessments in pharmaceutical and healthcare research, and in the development of products or services. In addition, she maintains a private practice, specializing in persons with obesity who wish to improve their quality of life.

She holds faculty appointments in the US and Norway:

Consulting Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
Professor Emerita at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Førde, Norway; Førde Hospital Trust, Førde, Norway; and Morbid Obesity Centre, Vestfold Hospital Trust, Tønsberg, Norway

Dr. Kolotkin is the primary developer of the Impact of Weight on Quality of Life questionnaire (IWQOL-Lite©), a widely used questionnaire that assesses quality of life in adults with obesity, as well as the IWQOL-Kids© for adolescents, and the IWQOL-Lite-Clinical Trials Version (IWQOL-Lite-CT)©. In addition to over 100 professional publications Dr. Kolotkin is the co-author of a book entitled Duke University Medical Center Book of Diet and Fitness, and has written chapters for several books (Integrative Weight Management; Handbook of Obesity Surgery; Handbook of Assessment Methods for Eating Behaviors and Weight Related Problems, 2nd edition; Progress in Obesity Research: 9; Obesity: New Directions in Assessment & Management; and The Assessment of Psychotherapy Outcome).

She received a BA from Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. For 15 years, Dr. Kolotkin served as Director of the Behavioral Health Program at Duke University's Diet and Fitness Center and later as a workshop leader in their psycho-educational programs. From 2000-2012 Dr. Kolotkin led psychosocial workshops at the Rice Diet Program.