“The Surgeon General notes that social connection is as fundamental a human need and as essential to survival as food, water, and shelter,” says Dr. Tom McCoy, dual board-certified physician in family and obesity medicine.
The note McCoy references is from a 2023 advisory in which the U.S. Surgeon General declares the current state of affairs an “epidemic of loneliness and isolation.”
And it’s not just a social problem; it’s a health problem, too.
“When we look at social isolation and loneliness, it is consistently correlated with higher rates of insulin resistance, poor body composition, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperlipidemia, and poor muscle tone,” McCoy says in a talk given at the CrossFit for Health Summit on Feb. 3, 2024, in Austin, Texas.
CrossFit, he says, can tackle both.
CHAPTERS
0:00-2:14 – The most impactful component of CrossFit.
2:19-5:21 – Dylan’s story.
5:55-7:11 – Loneliness as an immuno-metabolic syndrome.
8:26-10:46 – Sarah’s story.
10:54-13:57 – Fitness as a component of substance-use disorder recovery.
14:22-17:35 – Fitness, community, and brain physiology.
17:38-21:09 – Troy’s story.
21:14-22:13 – The impact of community on mental health.
22:17-24:51 – Troy’s impact on other veterans with CrossFit and ValorFit.
24:56-25:54 – The system is not designed to progress based on health outcomes.
25:59-27:50 – Changing the tide against insurmountable odds.
27:57-29:00 – Social connection is as fundamental a human need as food, water, and shelter.
29:21-35:01 – Integrating healthcare, community, and CrossFit.
35:12-39:40 – Alan’s story.
39:41-40:36 – Expanding upon the definition of CrossFit: “Doing fitness with friends.”
LECTURE SERIES PLAYLIST
Episode 1: Own Your Health, With Nicole Carroll
Episode 2: Exercise for Longevity and Healthspan, With Dr. Rhonda Patrick
Episode 3: CrossFit for Health: Muscle-centric Medicine, With Dr. Gabrielle Lyon
Episode 4: From Obesity to Opioids, How CrossFit Can Save the World, With Dr. Tom McCoy
Episode 5: Simple, Not Easy, Ways To Improve Your Health
Episode 6: Training for Fitness vs. Performance
Episode 7: The Role of Lifestyle in Chronic Disease, With Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng
Episode 8: Metabolic Health Is Mental Health, With Dr. Chris Palmer
Episode 9: The Relationship Between Connection, CrossFit, and Health
Episode 10: Future-Proof Your Brain, With Dr. Tommy Wood
About the CrossFit for Health Summit Spring Lunchtime Series
On Feb. 3, 2024, hundreds of CrossFit affiliate owners, coaches, and healthcare professionals gathered in Austin, Texas, and online for the CrossFit for Health Summit, presented by GORUCK.
CrossFit thought leaders led panel discussions on fitness, performance, and the hard work of health, while renowned experts shared cutting-edge research on longevity, mental and metabolic health, and chronic disease — and how the CrossFit community has the power to transform the landscape of it all.
“It is a wonderful comprehensive strategy to address some of the biggest challenges that we face as a nation right now in regards to healthcare,” Dr. McCoy says. “Being there for each other, connecting on a human level, is something that we do that no other fitness modality does. And this differentiates us and it gives us a power to impact brain physiology in a way that no other fitness modality can.”
From Obesity to Opioids, How CrossFit Can Save the World, With Dr. Tom McCoy