Nation’s top doctor prescribes more leisure

Art Nadler

Tuesday, Aug. 10, 1999 | 11:33 a.m.

Americans today are working longer hours, under more stressful situations. And that's why making time for leisure activities is so important, the nation's top medical physician said Monday.

U.S. Surgeon General and Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. David Satcher said parents should set aside time to play with their children, while communities must encourage their citizens to get involved in extracurricular physical activities and take more vacation time.

"Public health is everybody's business," Satcher said in an interview, prior to being honored at the National Medical Association's annual convention. The medical society of more than 20,000 African-American physicians is meeting in Las Vegas this week.

Satcher was presented Monday with the Bayer Institute for Health Care Communication's Distinguished Physician's Communication Award.

"It's is the role of leadership (both on a state and federal level) to talk about the importance of leisure time," Satcher, 58, said. "This is especially important in a society where everyone is trying to stay in the game, and they see themselves getting further and further behind. There ought to be some rewards for leisure time."

In response to the recent mass killings at Columbine High School in Colorado and the Atlanta day-trading office, Satcher said he doesn't feel that Americans are becoming more angry. It's just that these mass shootings receive more publicity, he said.

"We've had fewer shootings in schools than we had in the last two or three years," Satcher said. "We as a society should do more to create environments of hope rather than hopelessness. If people know someone who needs help for mental illness, depression or anxiety, they ought to see that that person gets help."

Satcher said many Americans have this feeling of hopelessness -- especially when it comes to economics. "I think there is a growing gap between the have and have-nots," Satcher said. "This creates a level of tension and stress."

As an example, Satcher said Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates made $10 billion last year. That brought his net worth to $100 billion. "How does a person who makes $30,000 or $40,000 a year relate to that?" Satcher asked. Two weeks ago, Satcher issued a call to action for all Americans to get involved in fighting the nation's rising suicide rates. Nevada always ranks high in suicide rates.

Recent figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that Nevada has 24.5 suicides per 100,000 people compared to the national average of 12.5 per 100,000 people.

Satcher said the dilemma needs to be attacked on three levels. First, he said, people must learn how to recognize suicide's warning signs, such as depression and changing mood swings.

Second, he said our system for dealing with suicide must be improved where treatments for depression, anxiety and substance abuse occur sooner.

And most important, he called for more funding for suicide-prevention research.

"Teachers, church leaders, families and scout leaders must get involved," Satcher said. "There are many things to reduce stress in communities. Clinical depression is a medical problem, just like hypertension. Substance abuse is also a medical problem like diabetes. These can be treated and will help prevent suicides."

Angered by the numbers of insurance companies dropping their senior citizen Medicare HMO plans, Satcher said it's important that the Medicare system be revamped to cover prescription drugs.

Also, he said passage of a federal Patients Bill of Rights was necessary to ensure people won't be denied needed medical care by their insurance companies.

"We need a balanced community health system," Satcher said. "It should be a system that balances access to quality health care on one hand, and good health promotion and disease prevention on the other hand."

Satcher is the nation's 16th surgeon general. He was sworn in on Feb. 13, 1998.