OCM

Michelle Petties

Biography :

Michelle Petties is a TEDx speaker, writer, and food addiction recovery expert whose work sits at the intersection of food, emotion, trauma, performance, and personal power. She is the author of the award-winning memoir Leaving Large – The Stories of a Food Addict, a 2022 category winner of The Memoir Prize, and a deeply personal exploration of food addiction, trauma, and healing. Michelle’s widely viewed TEDx Talk, A Food Addict’s Lesson: Confusion. Clarity. Recovery has inspired audiences nationwide. She has presented at high-profile conferences, universities, libraries, and international convenings, including the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) and the World Obesity Congress in 2023, 2024, and 2025. She is a regular contributor to Sisters From AARP and the Baltimore Times, where she shares powerful insights about the relationship between our personal narratives and our beliefs about food.