The U.S. healthcare system should increase its focus on the problems of an overweight population and adopt the "Healthy People 2010" plan released two years ago, former Surgeon General David Satcher said yesterday.
Satcher -- who served a four-year term as Surgeon General that ended this year -- outlined his public health plan to combat the problems of obesity affecting Americans.
Such a plan would be similar to the anti-smoking campaign that started with the original Surgeon General's Report in 1964. That campaign, he said, spread scientific and unbiased information to the general public, greatly reducing the number of smokers since then.
"Obesity can take over from smoking as a major preventable cause of death in this country, if left unabated," Satcher warned.
To alleviate the escalating problem, Satcher said, "It's time to really engage the American people" and combat both poor lifestyle choices and an inefficient health care system.
Most important among the lifestyle changes he recommended -- including dietary improvements, safe sexual behavior and a reduction of tobacco and substance abuse -- is regular physical exercise.
Among the benefits of exercise Satcher named are increased concentration, reduced cardiovascular problems, a decreased risk of developing adult-onset diabetes and, perhaps most importantly, a reduced ratio of weight to height.
Satcher also recommended that homes, schools and workplaces implement a series of changes to create healthier lifestyles.
For example, Satcher suggested that schools should provide healthier food and require more physical education. Similarly, businesses should allow employees an extended lunch break so they can get exercise, which he said would improve productivity.
If those problems are addressed, he said, hundreds of thousands of deaths can be prevented and over $100 billion in direct and indirect costs related to obesity can be eliminated.
With sixty-one percent of American adults overweight or obese, the issues that need to be resolved are clear for Satcher.
According to Satcher, 13 percent of children aged six to 11 years and 14 percent of 12- to 19-year-olds are overweight, a statistic he blames on the increased inactivity of children, many of whom watch television several hours each day.
"Obese individuals have a 50 to 100 percent increased risk of death from all causes compared with normal-weight individuals," he said.
Further problems exist in the health care people receive and the lifestyles they maintain, he said, adding that disparities in the quality of care between racial, gender and age groups should be addressed.
One-third of all Hispanics and a quarter of all blacks are uninsured, he said, while nearly one-half of those groups does not have a personal physician and "many older people can't afford prescription drugs."
The presentation before an audience of about 80 began and ended on humorous notes, as Dr. C. Everett Koop '37, who was appointed Surgeon General by Ronald Reagan, cracked jokes about Satcher.
