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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | ||||
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| REMARKS BY: | TOMMY G. THOMPSON, SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES |
| PLACE: | United Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Association, Washington, D.C. |
| DATE: | September 5, 2002 |
Good morning, and thank you so very much for that kind introduction.
I'm so very pleased to be with all of you. And I wonder if the Wisconsinites here would raise their hands … hello to all of you, and please give my best to everyone back home.
As you know, Wisconsin is home to some of the finest fresh produce in the world. We are almost always in the top three states in the nation in the production of vegetables and fruits like sweet corn, snap beans, cranberries and green peas. To those of you who have not tasted Wisconsin apple cider, I can only say that my heart goes out to you. And to those of you who haven't seen the magnificent cheese orchards of central Wisconsin, they truly are a sight to behold.
I come from a small town called Elroy, population 1,500. I've often said that you can dial the wrong number and still end up talking with someone for half an hour.
But Elroy had a pronounceable name, at least. As you know, some of the names in Wisconsin are hard to say, even for a native like me. Names like Kewaskum … Manitowoc … and Wonewoc.
I'm reminded of the story of the guy who went to one of our towns, a place called Ashwaubenon. He saw the signs for the town but just couldn't figure out how to say it.
So, he went to a local restaurant and kind of sheepishly asked the waiter, "Hey, I just can't figure out the name of this place. Can you tell me how to pronounce it?"
The waiter looked at the guy and said, very slowly, "Dairy Queen."
Well, some of our names are difficult to say, but we love them all because they speak of our heritage and our history.
A big part of that history is agriculture, developing the prairies that only 150 years ago were lying fallow but that now are among the most productive fruit and vegetable acreage in the world.
I grew up in an area that is very agricultural. My father was a grocer, and some of my earliest memories are of the local farmers who lived around Elroy coming to our store with their fresh produce. My Dad and I used to unload the crates and then display the produce in our family's store. Those are wonderful memories for me.
While I was governor of the great state of Wisconsin, I worked to turn those memories into practical action by encouraging good nutrition among all the people of my state, but especially among those most vulnerable to poor diets.
Now, at the federal level, I'm aggressively trying to educate Americans about the importance of good nutrition and eating the right balance of foods. One of the sad realities of our time is that too few of us are enjoying the wonderful fruits and vegetables so readily available - thanks to people like you - in our great country.
For example, chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. These diseases account for three out of every five health care dollars. They result in seven of every 10 deaths and harm the quality of life of an estimated 90 million Americans.
Consider a few very sobering facts: We know that one-third of all cancers, at a minimum, are caused by poor nutrition, overweight and simply being inactive.
Today, no less than 17 million Americans have diabetes and another 16 million more have a condition called pre-diabetes. And each year, there are one million new cases … and nearly 200,000 people die annually from this largely preventable ailment.
The cost to the economy: $100 billion annually in direct and indirect medical costs. All for a disease that, to a great extent, can be controlled or prevented by better management of our weight.
Speaking of weight, 61 percent of American adults are overweight or obese. The cost: an estimated $117 billion a year.
My friends, poor eating habits and inactivity are self-destructive. They shorten the life-span. They erode the quality of life. And they burden our health care system that in many ways is already stretched far too thin.
It's for all of these reasons that the Bush Administration is committed to advancing a preventive health agenda that encourages behaviors that will prevent illness instead of trying to treat it after it has occurred.
It's why I have made disease prevention - including diet and exercise - a major priority for the Department of Health and Human Services.
The President's budget provides $16.3 billion for disease prevention and control -- a six percent increase during a time of war and double the rate of inflation, which shows how serious the President and I are about this program.
The budget contains $20 million for the new Healthy Communities Initiative - a demonstration program allowing five communities to develop integrated strategies that will prevent obesity, diabetes and asthma. These communities will develop the best practices that others can then adopt.
Through the Healthier US Initiative, the President and I are educating Americans about four essential principles: First, we should be physically active every day. Even modest physical exercise like walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, can dramatically lower your risk of a disease like type 2 diabetes.
Second, we must develop good eating habits, which I'll talk more about in a moment.
Third, we should all take advantage of preventative screenings, like mammograms and blood tests.
And fourth, there are three "don'ts" we all should abide by: don't smoke, don't do drugs, and don't drink to excess.
We've also launched a program I know you have played a key role in designing and implementing - our nationwide "Five a Day for Better Health" initiative with the Department of Agriculture.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did a survey in 2000 of how many Americans eat five fruits and vegetables daily. Only one in about four Americans - 23 percent - said they eat "five a day."
So, the "Five a Day" program is an active partnership between fruit and vegetable growers and merchants like yourselves and the federal government.
An essential part of "Five a Day" is the "Savor the Spectrum" campaign that encourages people to eat a wide range of delicious fruits and vegetables. It can and will make a difference.
You're doing a great deal to promote your products with the American people. But just as HHS and the Bush administration are taking our fight for good health to new levels, we need to the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association to ratchet up their efforts.
We need you to be even more aggressive in touting the value of your products. We need you to be even more aggressive in your advertising and marketing.
We recognize what you're up against. Every day, our fellow citizens - including those most susceptible to advertisements, our young people - are bombarded with ads for every imaginable kind of fast food. There's a tremendous investment in marketing these foods.
Now, I like a slice of pizza and a cheeseburger as much as anyone. But we need to make sure people enjoy such foods in moderation and balance their meals nutritiously.
While you may not have the resources to outspend marketers of these foods, we do need you to be more competitive…more creative…more effective in persuading Americans to enjoy your products - preferably five times a day.
Whatever happened to the Dancing Raisin commercials? Or the singing banana commercials? They were creative… they penetrated the social fabric and became part of pop culture…and they prompted Americans to focus on healthier foods. We need to see more of this type of creative and effective marketing for fruits and vegetables - particularly targeting our children.
At HHS, we certainly want to partner with your industry where we can in this endeavor. And we are your partners, and will be for the long haul.
Encouraging people to change their eating habits is difficult…very difficult. But as someone once said, "Nobody makes a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little."
We can do more than a little. Together, we can do a great deal. So, for the sake of all Americans, let's go forward and build a stronger, healthier future for ourselves and our children.
Thank you again so very much. I'll be glad to take your questions.