As US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy nears the end of his second term as the nation\u2019s doctor, a final diagnosis of his patient suggests that a great deficiency of connectivity has led to a poor prognosis for America\u2019s overall health and well-being. <\/p>\n
To treat the \u201cwidespread pain and unhappiness\u201d that has left the country deeply unwell, he says, his \u201cparting prescription\u201d for the American people is to cultivate a strong sense of community to help themselves and others. <\/p>\n
\u201cCommunity is a powerful source of life satisfaction and life expectancy,\u201d Murthy wrote in an essay published Tuesday. \u201cIt\u2019s where we know each other, help each other, and find purpose in contributing to each other\u2019s lives.\u201d <\/p>\n
Building community creates fulfillment, he said, and there are three key elements that make it possible: connection with others through relationships, acts of service to help others and a sense of purpose in life \u2013 all pursued through love, instead of fear or hate. <\/p>\n
\u201cRelationships, service, and purpose are the time-tested triad of fulfillment that stands in contrast to wealth, fame, and power which define the modern-day triad of success,\u201d Murthy wrote. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe triad of success is focused on the individual. The triad of fulfillment connects us with something bigger than the individual,\u201d the surgeon general said. \u201cThe triad of success may earn us praise and possessions. The triad of fulfillment gives us meaning and belonging.\u201d <\/p>\n
The US surgeon general typically serves as the voice of the administration\u2019s public health policy while promoting their own agenda of issues that they feel are important to the health of American people. <\/p>\n
This final reflection from Murthy captures themes from his work under multiple administrations, first from 2014 to 2017 under Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump and a second term under President Joe Biden since 2021. <\/p>\n
His initiatives have focused on the addiction crisis, youth mental health, loneliness and isolation, workplace well-being, parental stress and social media\u2019s impact on youth. <\/p>\n
\u201cSocial media has turbocharged a culture of constant comparison that too often undermines our self-worth and makes us feel dissatisfied with our lives,\u201d Murthy wrote Tuesday. \u201cTrying to fill our internal void with approval and accolades and addictive forces isn\u2019t helping.\u201d <\/p>\n
Although Murthy\u2019s latest reflection pulls from personal experience and is not meant to be a scientific report, it does cite about two dozen studies that help show how social connectivity can affect physical and mental health. <\/p>\n
\u201cBeing socially disconnected increases our risk of heart disease, dementia, depression, anxiety, and premature death,\u201d he wrote, yet about a third of adults and half of young people experience loneliness. <\/p>\n
Individual purpose, anchored in helping others, can also strengthen physical and mental health, Murthy said. <\/p>\n
\u201cA high sense of individual purpose may reduce the risk of early death as well as stroke, lung disease, and dementia for some. Research also shows that people with a strong sense of purpose may experience lower levels of depression and anxiety and greater resilience in the face of stress,\u201d he wrote, citing five different studies. <\/p>\n
The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated feelings of loneliness and isolation in the US, Murthy said, but divisiveness has been eroding the country\u2019s well-being for even longer. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt is fueling not only illness and despair on an individual level, but also pessimism and distrust across society which have all made it painfully difficult to rise together in response to common challenges,\u201d he wrote. \u201cAs I finish my tenure as Surgeon General, this is my parting prescription, my final wish for all of us: Choose community.\u201d <\/p>\n
Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, a New York family physician and Fox News medical contributor, is Trump\u2019s pick to replace Murthy as surgeon general in his new administration. Several health experts have said that she\u2019s a reasonable choice but that she may be tested with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist, as Trump\u2019s pick to helm the US Department of Health and Human Services. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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