Dr. Padmaja Patel has been appointed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott to serve on the Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee, a newly constituted expert panel charged with developing nutritional guidelines for the state’s residents. The announcement, published December 19, 2025, places Patel among a group of seven professionals selected to advise on policies and science related to nutrition and public health in Texas.

The Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee was established under state law to provide an independent, multidisciplinary perspective on issues concerning diet, nutrition, and the impact of food on chronic disease. This advisory body is composed of experts in fields such as metabolic health, functional medicine, community health, and lifestyle medicine, with members appointed by the governor for staggered terms.

Dr. Patel brings to the committee deep expertise as a board-certified internist specializing in lifestyle medicine, where she integrates evidence-based therapeutic lifestyle changes into clinical care to prevent, treat, and reverse chronic diseases. She currently serves as President of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Chief Medical Officer of Nudj Health, and Medical Director of the Lifestyle Medicine Center at Midland Health in Midland, Texas. Her professional roles also include leadership positions in regional quality alliances and advisory roles with the National Quality Forum.

In her appointment, Governor Abbott has signaled a commitment to expanding the scientific foundation guiding state nutrition policy, bringing lifestyle medicine perspectives into conversations about diet and health outcomes for millions of Texans. The committee’s work will involve reviewing current research on nutrition, evaluating links between diet and chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, and formulating recommendations that could influence state programs, public health strategies, and educational outreach.

For Patel, this appointment follows a career marked by leadership in medical societies and advocacy for integrated health care approaches. She has been widely recognized within the lifestyle medicine community for developing care models that emphasize whole-person health, including nutritional strategies, physical activity, stress management, and behavior change. Under her leadership at Midland Health and through her work with national organizations, Patel has championed interventions that reduce the burden of chronic disease while increasing access to preventive care.

The Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee’s creation and governance structure reflect recent legislative priorities aimed at elevating nutrition science within state policy. Members like Patel will be tasked with bridging academic research, clinical insights, and community needs to shape practical guidelines that can be translated into programs affecting schools, healthcare systems, and public education campaigns. The inclusion of lifestyle medicine expertise-particularly from practitioners like Patel who combine clinical practice with systemic advocacy- adds a dimension of preventive care to the committee’s deliberations.

Beyond her advisory work in Texas, Patel’s national profile underscores how expertise in lifestyle medicine is increasingly valued by policy advisors and health systems alike. As President of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, she has influenced the expansion of therapeutic lifestyle change as a recognized model in medical practice. Her dual roles in clinical leadership and professional society governance situate her well to contribute meaningfully to the Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee’s mission.

For Texans, the committee’s recommendations could carry implications for public health initiatives, school nutritional standards, and community health planning. Nutrition is widely acknowledged as a cornerstone of preventive health, and expert advisory bodies play a critical role in ensuring that guidelines are grounded in the latest evidence while responsive to demographic and cultural diversity across the state. Patel’s appointment adds a nationally respected voice to this dialogue, reflecting both her personal contributions to medicine and the growing recognition of lifestyle-based approaches to chronic disease prevention.

Key Takeaways About Padmaja Patel

• Dr. Padmaja Patel has been appointed to the Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee by Governor Greg Abbott.
• She is a board-certified internist and lifestyle medicine leader based in Midland, Texas.
• Patel serves as President of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and holds clinical leadership roles.
• The advisory committee will develop nutritional guidelines to inform state health policy.
• Her appointment reflects a broader integration of lifestyle medicine expertise into public health planning.