Loneliness Could Be Deadlier Than Obesity, According To This Study

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We know that both a healthy body and a healthy mind are needed to live a long, happy life. But new research from Brigham Young University suggests that the mental part of the game might be more important than the physical one, especially when it comes to our social behavior.

The new study included an analysis of data from a selection of pre-existing health studies focused on loneliness, social isolation and living alone. In total, they included more than 3 million participants in their evaluation. And even after accounting for differences in socioeconomic status, age, gender and pre-existing health conditions, they concluded that lonely people have a 50 percent increased risk of early death.

That’s higher than the risk people with obesity face.

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“We need to start taking our social relationships more seriously,” Julianne Holt-Lunstad, the lead study author, said in a statement. The research was presented at the 2017 Convention of the American Psychological Association and published in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science.

The researchers found that even though older people have a naturally higher mortality risk and are likely to be lonely as they outlive their loved ones, the mortality risk linked to loneliness is higher for younger populations. Such a trend could be linked to the ways in which younger generations use smartphones and social technology, perpetuating their unhappiness rather than creating a positive source of community.

This finding opens the door for more people to take notice of loneliness and social isolation as legitimate threats to public health and work to find solutions that can work across a variety of demographics. More people than ever live alone right now, which could help spur a “loneliness epidemic” in the future, so it’s something worth acknowledging sooner rather than later.

And outside the realm of scientific studies, the least we can do is reach out to a friend we haven’t spoken to in a while or call a family member who lives far away. Making it a priority to be social not just for ourselves, but for those we care about can only benefit the situation.