[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 77 (Wednesday, June 12, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H3494-H3495]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       NATIONAL MEN'S HEALTH WEEK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise to call attention to this 
Nation's observance of National Men's Health Week which takes place 
this year from June 10 to June 16.
  In May of 1994 Congress sent to the President a joint resolution 
establishing the week leading up to Father's Day each year as National 
Men's Health Week. It was signed by President Clinton on May 31, 1994, 
and became Public Law 103-264. The resolution requested our chief 
executive to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United 
States to observe this week with appropriate programs and activities.
  As our sons and daughters across America scurry about this week to 
buy that special Father's Day gift and card, and as I wish my 90-year-
old father and my 98-year-old uncle and my 88-year-old uncle and my 78-
year-old uncle, I wish them all a happy Father's Day, I can think of no 
better way to honor our present and future generations of fathers than 
to learn more about the unique challenges men face and how we can help 
them preserve the precious gift of good health.

                              {time}  2115

  All of our citizens have benefited greatly from the strides made by 
medical science, but despite these advances, a review of our health 
statistics show that the health status of American men, and especially 
many of our ethnic minorities, lags far behind the rest of our 
citizens. The average life expectancy at birth for all men in the 
United States is 74.1 years, more than 5 years less than for women. The 
gap widens to almost 7 years when comparing the life expectancy of 
black males, which is 68.3 years, to white males which is 74.8 years.
  I am especially concerned about the number one illness that 
contributes to the reduced life expectancy for men, heart disease. 
Despite the wealth of world class hospitals in Chicago, a study 
conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the year 
2000 found that Illinois has the Nation's third highest rate of death 
from heart disease among African American men. According to the 
American Heart Association, all men have a greater risk of heart 
disease and heart attacks much earlier in life than women. Men must 
take this disease more seriously and understand that this killer can 
and should be prevented.
  In addition to the disproportionately higher rates of heart disease 
and other

[[Page H3495]]

illnesses among African American men, census data has confirmed the 
tremendous growth of the Latino population in the United States. 
Hispanic men are also affected more than other groups by illnesses that 
can often be prevented or treated successfully if detected early. 
Hispanic Americans are almost twice as likely to have diabetes as non-
Hispanic white Americans of similar age.
  We can and must do more to educate all men about this disease. People 
with diabetes are also two to four times more likely to have heart 
disease and suffer from stroke. Advanced diabetes can cause blindness, 
kidney disease and severe nerve damage. The risk of getting diabetes, 
as well as many other illnesses, can be reduced by lifestyle changes 
such as maintaining a healthy weight, eating a healthy diet and 
exercising.
  Another public health concern that can be reduced with proper health, 
education and screening is the rate of illness and death from HIV/AIDS. 
Approximately 35,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS in Illinois. More 
than three-quarters of those people are estimated to live in the 
Chicago area. Chicago ranks sixth in its number of living AIDS cases 
among the 100 largest U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas, and Illinois 
ranks seventh among all States in the United States. Communities of 
color are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS in Chicago and 
throughout Illinois. More than two-thirds of living AIDS cases and more 
than three-quarters of new cases occur among African Americans.
  Directly related to this is data from the 1999 National Household 
Survey on Drug Abuse showing that Illinois ranks fifth in estimated 
numbers of people who recently used illicit drugs.
  Heightened awareness of what men can do to protect themselves and 
their loved ones from AIDS, heart disease, preventable accidents, 
diabetes and other health risks is what National Men's Health Week is 
all about. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I would urge all men throughout 
America and, quite frankly, throughout the world to pay more attention 
to our health so that not only can we maintain better health but so 
that we can continue to observe and have far more happy Father's Days 
with more fathers who are healthy, alive and well.

                          ____________________