Op-Ed
                   1/3/95  The Washington Post
                        Donna E. Shalala
           U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
                               on 
                 Healthful Resolutions for 1995     The great baseball manager, Casey Stengel once quipped upon
turning eighty, "If I had known I was going to live this long, I
would have taken better care of myself."  With the New Years
holiday right around the corner, here's ten resolutions we can
make to take better care of ourselves and cut down on health
costs at the same time. 

     1.   Eat Healthy.  Recent studies show a significant
increase in the number of obese Americans in the last decade. To
reverse this trend, we can resolve to eat at least five fruits
and vegetables a day.  We should also read the new FDA approved
food labels when we go shopping to help us cut our fat
consumption and calories.

     2.   Get off the couch.  Since poor diet and lack of
exercise are associated with at least 300,000 deaths a year in
the United States, let's resolve to exercise more than our
fingers on the TV remote control this year.  We'll all feel
better and improve our health with 15 to 30 minutes of exercise -
- running, walking, tennis, etc. -- every day or every other day.

     3.   Don't throw away your life to drugs.  Illicit drug use 
leads to as many as 20,000 deaths annually -- from overdose,
drug-related suicide, homicide, motor vehicle injury, HIV
infection, and such diseases as pneumonia.  Recent studies show
that illicit drug use, particularly marijuana, is on the rise
among teenagers.  Anyone with a problem should resolve to get
help, and all of us have a responsibility to send clear,
consistent anti-drug messages to our young people. 

     4.   Life's not a game of chicken.  Don't take unnecessary
chances.  Wear your seat belt.  Use your bike helmet.  And avoid
unsafe sex.  Each year, more than 10,000 teenagers get infected
with HIV, more than one million teenagers get pregnant, and more
than 12 million people -- two thirds of them under age 25 -- get
sexually transmitted diseases.  Let's resolve to teach our young
people that abstinence is the best and safest course.

     5.   Take the key and lock it up.  In 1992 there were a
total of 37,776 firearm-related deaths, including -- 17,799
homicides, 18,169 suicides, and 1,409 unintended, or "accidental"
deaths.  Many of these deaths could have been prevented by one
simple resolution: to lock all weapons and ammunition out of
reach of everyone except those licensed to use them, and in
particular, children and teenagers.

     6.   Take Five...Reduce your stress and get some rest. 
Americans are working longer hours and getting less sleep than
ever before.  Resolve to balance work and leisure in 1995.  Your
body will thank you for it.  

     7.   Be wise, immunize.  Bacteria and viruses (excluding
HIV) cause 90,000 deaths each year.  That's why we must resolve
to prevent disease by making sure everyone in our entire family
has had their shots.  This is especially important for our
children -- their most important vaccines must be completed by
age 2.  But adults need to keep up their immunizations too.  Ask
your doctor.

     8.   A mammogram could save your life.  The breast cancer
rate has been rising in this country for 20 years.  A mammogram
can find breast cancer that is too small to be felt.  Studies
show that if you are age 50 or over, getting a mammogram every
one to two years could save your life.  Make sure the mammography
facility you choose is certified by the Food and Drug
Administration.

     9.   Stop blowing smoke.  Your life depends on it.  Each
year, tobacco causes nearly a third of all cancer deaths, 21
percent of all cardiovascular deaths, and altogether, 400,000
premature deaths.  You can quit -- either cold turkey or by
getting help from a doctor, counseling, or a support group.
 
     10.  And last but not least, Don't be the "death" of the
party.  Alcohol misuse causes 100,000 deaths each year, and is a
factor in 40-50 percent of motor vehicle fatalities.

     Before we start out to celebrate New Year's, let's resolve,
if we drink, to be moderate for our health's sake, and to find a
non-drinking driver, for safety's sake.

     More than 18 million Americans are alcohol dependent, and 44
percent of college students report binge drinking.  If you're one
of them, resolve to get help from your physician and/or community
resources such as Alcoholics Anonymous.
     
     These are some of the things each of us can do to take
personal responsibility for our health and save health care
dollars.  

     We now know what Casey Stengel didn't, so let's resolve to
live longer...and healthier in 1995.