Loneliness Could Be Worse For Your Health Than Obesity, Studies Show

NEW YORK, NY — Even as the world becomes increasingly connected through digital means, a growing number of people experience substantial social isolation and suffer from chronic loneliness, experts believe. And according to research presented at the recent convention of the American Psychological Association, loneliness could have a worse impact on public health than the much-discussed obesity epidemic.

"Being connected to others socially is widely considered a fundamental human need — crucial to both well-being and survival," said psychology professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad of Brigham Young University, who presented the research. "Extreme examples show infants in custodial care who lack human contact fail to thrive and often die, and indeed, social isolation or solitary confinement has been used as a form of punishment."

She added: "Yet an increasing portion of the U.S. population now experiences isolation regularly."

Isolation Could Become A Bigger Public Health Threat Than Obesity

Multiple measures point to high rates of loneliness nationwide:

• The American Association of Retired Persons found that around 42.6 Americans over the age of 45 are chronically lonely
• More than 25 percent of Americans live alone, according to the census
• Marriage rates and the number of children per household are decreasing

Holt-Lunstad presented research at the recent APA convention that compiled hundreds of studies including millions of participants that strongly points to a connection between social isolation and an increased risk of death.

"With an increasing aging population, the effect on public health is only anticipated to increase," she said. "Indeed, many nations around the world now suggest we are facing a 'loneliness epidemic.' The challenge we face now is what can be done about it."

According to Holt-Lunstad's research, loneliness can double a person's risk of early death, compared to a person with strong social connections. Other research has found that having a body mass index between 30 and 35 — the "obesity level," according to experts — can increase your chance of death by around 45 percent.

Both of these estimates are correlations, which means they may not show causal relationships. In other words, people who are lonely may have a high risk of dying for some reason other than a lack of social connection. For example, it may be true that people who are sick are more likely to be lonely and disconnected, but in this case it would be the sickness and not the loneliness that causes the increased mortality rate.

Holt-Lunstad, though, believes that her research suggests that loneliness is a serious problem and that medical professionals should take it more seriously as a public health threat.

She suggests that children should be given a greater access to social skills education and that doctors should ask patients about social isolation. But as the AARP study found, much of the loneliness in society afflicts older people. Planning for an active social life, especially in retirement, should be a given more priority, Holt-Lunstad said.

Emma Seppälä, science director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education and author of The Happiness Track, attributed the increase in loneliness to the American drive for independence.

"Some of us get competitive when we compare ourselves with our peers; others get trapped in 12-hour work days or scatter across the country in the quest for achievement," she told Patch in an email. "We drown in workaholism and the busyness of life, then numb ourselves with alcohol and Netflix. Yet social connection is what we all desperately want—that sense of deep and powerful intimacy, whether it’s with a romantic partner or a friend."

She continued: "In a revealing sociological study, a large percentage of Americans report having shrinking networks and fewer relationships. The average American has only one close confidante, the same study showed. And the leading reason people seek out counseling is loneliness."

But we shouldn't interpret these findings to mean we need to make as many friends as possible. To reduce loneliness, Seppälä said, it's important to focus on quality over quantity.

"Research shows that we reap the psychological well-being and physical health benefits of social connection not from the number of friends we have, but from our internal and subjective sense of connection towards others," she said. "In other words, we could have only one friend, or no friends at all, but if we feel connected from the inside, then we reap all the benefits thereof. This research finding is empowering because whatever starts from within is also within our power to calculate."

Photo credit: Pascal Maramis