Future Directions for Health Equity and Lifestyle Medicine: Insights from Former US Surgeons General

Lifestyle medicine practices address root causes in the realm of patient care, healthcare systems, community health, and public health policy. It often takes consistent messaging and robust scientific evidence to buy in support of patients, health administrators, community leaders, and government officials. Four former U.S. surgeons general-the Honorable Admiral David Satcher, MD; Vice Admiral M. Joycelyn Elders, MS; Vice Admiral Antonia Novella, MD; and Vice Admiral Richard Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS-participated in a town hall during the American College of Lifestyle Medicine's 2021 annual conference to discuss health equity and its relationship to LM. Moderated by Dexter Shurney, MD, MBA, MPH, immediate-past president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and president of the Blue Zones Well-Being Institute, the discussion also explored the challenging role and responsibilities of the nation's top medical officer, the emergence of LM as an undervalued but high-potential tool for addressing complex issues such as health disparities, and specific actions-especially related to leadership-that would accelerate wider adoption of LM. In this article, Drs. Shurney and Carmona share their insights and highlights from the conversation and consider future directions of LM.