Message from the President

What an exciting year with ETDDA! During our January meeting, the leadership board agreed to follow the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recent decision on a name change.  We will now be known as the East Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (ETAND).

Our ETAND Spring Seminar flyer is posted and you may pay online.  We hope to see you there!

RDs MUST be included in Obesity Therapy!
Write to your members of Congress and tell them to urge CMS to reconsider its recent decision that excludes RDs from direct billing and limits services to the primary care settingWe desperately need your help!  If you haven’t sent a letter to your members of Congress, please take action today!  Overall less than 2% of Academy members have done so (see attached document with state-by-state breakdown). Visit the Academy’s Grassroots Manager at:  http://www.eatright.org/members/actioncenter.aspx to send your letters.  It only takes ONE minute and will ensure our voices are heard in Congress.Under what you can do there is a link to the ADA website that will lead you and each of your members to an action alert.   I can not stress how important it is for Dietitians to do this - and not "miss the boat".  It is time to step up to the plate right now and fight what we have worked so hard to achieve.

Let's show an East Texas presence at the annual TDA conference by making a basket for TDA-PAC.   The Creative Basket contest for the Silent Auction at TDA FNCE in 2012 is coming up quickly. Submit a basket on your own or put a team together. Awards will be given for Overall Best of Show, Most Naturally Nutritious, Most Environmentally Friendly, Most Creative, Best Texas Theme, and many more!Don’t want to make a basket? Do you know any companies that would donate a gift to be auctioned off? Donations don’t have to fit into a basket! Help support TDA PAC! If you have any questions or would like to submit a gift, please contact Caroline Sullivan at (936) 468-1022 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Join us and get involved.  The more members we have, the stronger our voice.   We need you to own and advocate for your profession, Registered and Licensed Dietitian.

Beth Lloyd, RD,LD
ETDDA President 2011-2012