As lesser people believe in the sanctity of marriage, loneliness rates keep skyrocketing, especially in current times, according to a new research. That’s not the worst part – the research also shows that loneliness may pose a greater health threat than obesity, and even is on par with the risks of smoking.
The research found that people with a better social interaction have a 50% reduction in the risk of early death, and loneliness, isolation and living alone also increased the individuals’ risk of resulting in similar or worse effects than obesity. Researcher Holt-Lunstad also mentions that this problem won’t be going away anytime soon.
Researcher Holt-Lunstad mentions that loneliness can cause disrupted sleep patterns, high stress levels, increased inflammation and even deteriorate immune systems, all adding up to a substantial risk for disease or life-threatening injuries.
To make matters worse, the newest AARP Loneliness Study shows that 42.6 million adults aged 45 and above suffer from chronic loneliness, and that number is expected to only go higher in the future decades. In other words, make more friends, socialise and you will reap the benefits – by being able to live longer. We say, pick up the damn phone now.
