A healthy workplace for a healthier America

Press Conference with Senator Harkin
124 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington D.C.

Ronald M. Davis, MD
President
American Medical Association

Some quick background for you. I'm no recent convert to the field of preventive medicine. I began specializing in that area way back in medical school. As I understood from the beginning, preventive medicine physicians are the ones who try to keep people healthy, and to put all the other doctors out of business.

To me, it's been a noble calling. Put simply, preventive medicine helps people live longer and better. Nowadays, doctors of every stripe recognize the importance of leading healthy lifestyles. So while the American Medical Association has always worked hard to better the health of America, preventing illness is now one of our top priorities.

All of us can take simple steps to live healthier and longer lives. And that includes employers, who will no doubt benefit greatly from healthier employees.

If you're in a car, buckle up. Don't abuse alcohol or drugs. Stop smoking. Or better yet, don't start.

There are more than a thousand deaths every day in this country from tobacco-related diseases. So smoking kills more people than alcohol, heroin, PCP, cocaine, and every other drug, plus car crashes, fires, AIDS, homicides, and suicides combined.

Our latest national epidemic is obesity. We need fewer trips to fast-food restaurants, fewer enormous sugar-filled soft drinks, and fewer excuses not to exercise. Nearly three-quarters of our population report that they've had no leisure-time physical activity in the past month.

So most of the responsibility will always rest with the individual. But there are several things we can also do together to prevent illness.

Businesses ought to be a part of that, because we need to address preventive health in every aspect of our lives. Not just at the doctors' office, but in our schools, our communities, and absolutely yes, in the workplace.

So here are just a few thoughts from the perspective of America's physicians on why it would be helpful for this situation to be addressed at the national level:

First, we need more physicians across the country offering preventive services. We strongly support increased federal funding for preventive medicine residency programs.

Second, our nation as a whole would clearly benefit from a shift towards offering more robust wellness programs at the workplace.

Third, we traditionally look mostly at our high-risk populations, and for good reason; but we also need to focus on keeping healthy people healthy.

Fourth, investing in scientifically sound clinical preventive services improves the health and productivity of employees.

And finally, employers and health insurance companies must find a way to adequately provide and cover clinical preventive services. Especially when we all agree that it will have a positive impact on health, and on the bottom line.

Here's a powerful example. The financial impact of unhealthy lifestyles was shown in recent figures on health care spending for the employees of General Motors. The average healthcare spending for employees with a normal body weight and no heart disease risk factors is $1600 per employee per year. But the average cost for severely overweight employees, with six or more risk factors, is $7000 per employee per year.

The benefits of employee wellness programs are clear. And for that reason, I consider it a great privilege to be here today with Senator Harkin, as he and Senator Smith prepare to introduce legislation that advances these healthy workplace goals. It's an important step toward a healthier America.