Surgeon General says we need to focus on these 3 things to live better
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy on Tuesday released his penned parting prescription to the country preparing his exit as the nation's top doctor.
As he closes out his term, Murthy is urging Americans to realign their lives around relationships, service, and purpose, what he called "the triad of fulfillment and the core pillars of community."
The physician has served as the 19th and 21st surgeon general of the United States under presidents Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.
Murthy, 47, was nominated by Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in March 2021. He is the co-founder of Doctor's for America, which advocates for quality and affordable healthcare to all Americans.
According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, throughout his tenure, Murthy has sought to understand "the root causes of pain and unhappiness felt across our country."
"Dr. Murthy believes that health is about more than tests and medications: it includes taking time to listen and focus on the whole person," the statement reads. "As America’s Doctor, he has taken a similar approach with the nation... has found something deep and widespread ailing Americans: the erosion of our sense of community."
Murthy also called for a shift in culture, policy, and programs in an effort to strengthen the nation's "health, happiness, and fulfillment."
“Today, we are faced with a profound choice: do we continue with the status quo, marked by pain, disconnection, and division? Or do we choose a different path − one of joy, health, and fulfillment, where we turn toward each other instead of away from each other; where we choose love over fear; where we recognize community as the irreplaceable foundation for our well-being?” Murthy said. “As I finish my tenure as Surgeon General, this is my parting prescription, my final wish for all of us: choose community.”
America's top doc: These 3 things will make you healthier
In his prescription, Murphy detailed each element and how they impact our health:
Relationships: Connections we build with friends, family and others we encounter. Healthy relationships where we feel seen and where we can be ourselves can produce joy and support and can be buffers to stress. Being socially disconnected increases the risk of heart disease, dementia, depression, anxiety, and early death.
Service: Moves we make to benefit others. Even though service is defined as benefiting others, filling one’s life with service can have profound benefits to the person rendering the service. Studies show it can reduce the risk of hypertension, stroke, early death, depression, cognitive decline, and more.
Purpose: Obtaining an overarching life aim guiding and prioritizing our decisions and actions. "It’s not 'what' we do. It’s 'why' we do it." It's good for mental and physical health and can result in lower levels of depression and stress.
Opinion: No amount of alcohol is safe. Surgeon general is right to sound the alarm.
How long is the U.S. Surgeon General in office?
The nation's Surgeon General serves a four-year term of office.
Their duties include providing the public "with the best scientific information available" on to improve their health and reduce their risk of illness and injury.
On Friday, Murthy sounded the alarm when he called for cancer warnings to be placed on liquor and other alcoholic beverages after a report revealed studies link booze to more than a half-dozen malignancies, including breast cancer.
Murthy released a new Surgeon General’s Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk on Friday outlining the direct link between drinking alcohol and increased cancer risk.
Who is the next U.S. Surgeon General?
In late November, President-elect Trump chose family medicine doctor and Fox News contributor Janette Nesheiwat to be the nation's next surgeon general.
Nesheiwat, 48, currently serves as a Medical Director at CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She previously served as a physician at Washington Regional Medical Center and at Northwest Medical Hospital.
Contributing: Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy: 3 things can make you healthy
