As a dedicated member of the Obesity Action Coalition and Immediate Past Chair of the OAC National Board of Directors, Patricia Nece, JD, is an avid advocate for sound obesity treatments and the eradication of weight-based bias, stigma, and discrimination. She encourages change by sharing her own experiences of living with obesity. Her advocacy work has included testifying before the U.S. Food & Drug Administration; participating in numerous Congressional briefings; and giving a patient’s perspective to legislators, healthcare providers, researchers, food-industry representatives, and more. Patty’s involvement with OAC, an 80,000-member nonprofit organization dedicated to giving a voice to individuals affected by obesity, has challenged weight bias, supported science-based obesity treatments and empowered others in their health journeys.
Patty currently chairs OAC’s Weight Bias Committee. She is also a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Roundtable on Obesity Solutions, the World Obesity Federation’s Policy and Prevention Committee, and the International Obesity Collaboration. She was awarded The Obesity Society’s Presidential Medal during the Presidential Plenary session at ObesityWeek® 2022, the leading international conference on obesity that brings together scientific, medical, policy and other professionals interested in obesity, for her contributions to the obesity field. Patty retired from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Solicitor’s Office in 2022 after 37 years of service.