|
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | ||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
| REMARKS BY: | TOMMY G. THOMPSON, SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES |
| PLACE: | National 5 A Day for Better Health Partnership Meeting, Washington, D.C. |
| DATE: | April 25, 2002 |
Thank you, Dr. von Eschenbach, for your kind introduction.
This country is so very fortunate to have Dr. von Eschenbach as director of the National Cancer Institute. His professional experience, his personal character, his leadership and his dedication to those suffering with cancer have made him extraordinarily well prepared to head the N-C-I.
Our National Cancer Institute is leading the national 5 A Day partnership and they're doing a really great job, and I commend them on their fine work.
Secretary Veneman, thank you for joining me today. I'm so happy to have your support, and I look forward to working closely with you and our partners to promote good health, and to encourage every American to eat more of the fruits and vegetables produced by the most productive farmers in the world, the men and women who live on America's farms.
And I thank all of you for being here and for your commitment to the National 5 A Day for Better Health Program.
It is my privilege to be here today and welcome our new partners in the National 5 A Day Program. I am so happy that so many of you have dedicated yourselves to helping us promote the largest nutrition education initiative in the world, the 5 A Day for Better Health Program. All Americans will benefit from your leadership and commitment.
You know, we've all heard this from the time we were kids: "Eat your fruits and vegetables."
It was Mark Twain who said, "Eat what you like -- and let the food fight it out inside." Well, frankly, too often, the food wins -- and our health suffers.
I'm here today to encourage all Americans to enjoy what they eat -- but to be sure to eat the right things.
We live in the most amazing era of human medicine, with new medical advances announced almost every week. We're living longer than our forefathers ever dreamed possible.
But, we aren't necessarily living healthier. That's why I've started a national dialogue about the state of America's health. Prevention is the centerpiece of this effort.
We do things backward in America. We wait until people get sick, and then spend billions of dollars a year to try and make them healthy.
Why don't we shift the focus to not getting sick in the first place -- and save money and, more importantly, save lives. Preventing disease and illness can literally be a matter of life and death. For example, as a nation, we're growing heavier and heavier with each passing year. Obesity soon will overtake smoking as the leading cause of preventable death.
In the same way, diabetes has reached epidemic proportions, and it's on the rise. In the last three decades alone, the number of people with diabetes has tripled. There are now about 17 million Americans with diabetes.
But what's equally troubling is that there are about 16 million people on the verge of diabetes, a condition we call pre-diabetes.
I'm especially concerned about our children -- type 2 diabetes was once only a disease of adults. But we now have an extraordinary rise in obesity-related type 2 diabetes in our kids, especially African-American, Asian American and Hispanic children.
We're the parents -- we're responsible for getting our children off to a healthy start.
We should be teaching them proper nutrition and healthy eating habits, showing them that eating lots of fruits and vegetables are not just good for you, but also that they taste great, too.
It's also time we get our kids off the play stations and onto the playgrounds for exercise. And we adults should be out there playing with them, too, and setting an example of good diet and exercise.
I've put my own department on a diet. I've challenged all HHS employees who need to, to lose 10-15 pounds. And I've encouraged my employees to start exercising.
And I'm right there with them. I plan on losing at least 15 pounds myself. I'm eating better -- yes, I'm eating my 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. I especially like a salad and fruit cup with my lunch every day.
I'm experimenting with new things, trying to hit all the color groups. And I've learned that when I eat right, I'm less likely to be hungry and hit the vending machines.
And let me tell you, I feel absolutely great.
I am very proud to be involved with the 5 A Day Program, and thank you for your leadership in helping us promote the good health of all Americans.
But you're not just impacting our citizens here at home. You're having a major impact around the world -- with more than 35 countries using your program as the model for how they can increase fruit and vegetable consumption in their own countries.
I'm encouraging all national and state health agencies to get involved and support this program, to bring what can literally be a lifesaving message to the grassroots level. Let's work together to get out the word to increase fruit and vegetable consumption as part of a healthy diet.
And I'm asking all of you - please join me in encouraging better health. Talk to your colleagues, your employees, your friends and your family.
Tell them to eat their 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, to stop smoking, to exercise for a half hour a day. All of these significantly reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Together, we can save untold thousands of lives.
Thank you again for having me, and I look forward to working with all of you to make a healthier America.