PULSE THEY'RE LISTENING U.S. SURGEON GENERAL, HOLLYWOOD COME TOGETHER TO MAKE SILENT HEALTH ISSUE PUBLIC.

Hollywood in recent years has not been known to shy away from sensitive subjects. Quite the opposite is true. Bring it on, the creators and actors say, the grittier the better.

But there is one topic that is so touchy, films and television shows barely dare speak its name: teen suicide.

That subject and other mental-illness matters were what brought U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher to Los Angeles last week to meet with actors, producers and others in a seminar sponsored by the Entertainment Industries Council. It was only the second time a surgeon general has addressed Hollywood, after Dr. C. Everett Koop's 1987 meeting about AIDS.

EIC's mission is to help filmmakers and TV producers develop credible stories dealing with health topics such as AIDS, drug and alcohol addiction, gun violence and mental illness.

At the ``Mental Health Portrayals in Media'' symposium, Satcher said teen suicide is one topic that has been overlooked by the entertainment media. Statistics show it is the third leading cause of death for Americans 15 to 24 years old, far ahead of homicides and AIDS.

``Suicide is very much a silent public-health issue,'' Satcher said.

But seminar panelist Dr. Neal Baer, former executive producer of ``ER'' who now works on ``Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,'' said teen suicide is tough to address, even compared with pedophilia, incest and other sex crimes.

``We have done some teen suicide stories on 'ER' in the last few years, but it's tricky, because there's some evidence that there may be a copycat element,'' Baer said in an interview. ``That means you can't romanticize it. The networks are very nervous about it.

``I actually think it's probably not the case,'' added Baer, a pediatrics resident at Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles. ``I think a kid who is going to do something will do something (even without seeing it on TV). There's a world out there. But I think (producers) have to act responsibly.''

Brian Dyak, president and chief executive officer of EIC, said more research into audience reaction to suicide stories needs to be done before EIC experts can make recommendations to Hollywood on it.

Sally Field also sat on the panel because of her 1976 Emmy-winning role as the multiple-personality-plagued title character in ``Sybil'' and her highly praised recurring part this season as a manic-depressive mother on ``ER.''

``As an actor, I'm a tool in the process,'' Field said. ``When dealing with such an important issue, it's important that I sufficiently research the topic so that I can bring honesty and credibility to my depiction of a character who suffers from mental disorders.''

- Valerie Kuklenski

GIVING BACK: Looking for a way to keep your New Year's resolution to get fit? The American Stroke Association is now forming San Fernando Valley teams for its Train to End Stroke program. Participants train together to run in the Kona, Hawaii, marathon on June 24, while also raising funds for stroke research and education through sponsorship donations from friends and family. Those interested in participating are invited to attend one of two meetings: one Wednesday at the Burbank Public Library (110 N. Glenoaks) at 6:30 p.m. and one at Encino Hospital-Encino classroom (16237 Ventura Blvd.) at 6:30 p.m. For more information or to reserve a space at an upcoming meeting, call [phone].

- Elizabeth Smilor

ON THE SHELF

KEEP IT MOVING: Do you have a habit of tapping your feet as you work at your desk? Or do you doodle while talking on the phone? Congratulations! You're getting a workout for the day.

``The Fidget Factor - The Easy Way to Burn Up to 1,000 Extra Calories Every Day,'' (Andrews McMeel Publishing; $10.95) explains how just about everything you do burns calories.

Did you know that walking up and down an escalator burns 2 to 4 calories a minute? Or that surfing the Internet burns about 1 to 2 1/2 calories each minute?

The book's Calorie Expenditure Chart lists the amount of calories burned by these activities and many more - from snowboarding to reading a book. But let's face it, fidgeting isn't going to burn off all the extra calories in your diet, so the book also includes sections on eating proactively and exercising.

- Jacqueline Etcheverry

STUFF

SCRUB-A-DUB-DUB: Now, we've never tried it, but the new Supersmile Oolit Tongue Scraper sounds like a good idea if you're worried about bad breath.

When you consider that the tongue occupies one third of the oral cavity and only 25 percent of mouth odor can be reduced by brushing your teeth, maybe this little scraper with a patented rippled edge to get into the smallest cracks and deepest grooves of the tongue could make you more kissable.

According to the Supersmile company, a well-scrubbed tongue also has increased sensitivity to taste and cuts down on that nasty ``morning mouth'' syndrome. To try it, go to www.supersmileusa.com or call [phone]. The tongue scrapers are $3 each.

- Barbara De Witt

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1) Dr. David Satcher, above, ``Suicide is very much a silent public-health issue.''

(2) Sally Field, right: ``It's important that I ... bring honesty and credibility to my depiction of a character who suffers from mental disorder.''

Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer

(3) no caption (``The Fidget Factor - The Easy Way to Burn Up to 1,000 Extra Calories Every Day'')