© Dan MacMedan-USA TODAY NETWORK
Dr. Ruth Westheimer
(New York, NY) – Dr. Ruth Westheimer has been bringing people closer together for years. The accomplished talk shot host and famed sex therapist was just named New York’s Honorary Ambassador to Loneliness by Governor Kathy Hochul.
Dr. Ruth, a Holocaust survivor who earned her doctorate from Columbia University in the 1970s, was born in Germany. She has been named to this new ambassador position in a bid to raise awareness surrounding the issue of loneliness — which has been linked to health problems. Things like heart problems, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and anxiety have been linked to chronic loneliness. The 95-year-old Dr. Ruth Westheimer says the new title is an honor. She’s also vowed to help New Yorkers deal with being lonely.
Per a recent study, more than one-third of adults 45-or-older experience loneliness. And nearly a quarter of adults 65-or-older are considered to be “socially isolated”.