Loneliness can be twice as unhealthy as obesity in older people
A study has found that loneliness is twice as unhealthy as obesity in older people. Over six years, the study looked at the impact variables had on death rates.
After tracking more than 2,000 people aged 50 and over, scientists found that people who were identified as the loneliest were nearly twice as likely to die during the study than those who were the least lonely.
Compared with the average person within the study, those who were lonely had a 14 per cent higher risk of dying, which was around twice the impact obesity had on early death rates. Poverty ranked higher than loneliness with a 19 per cent increase.
A separate study in 2012 found that around a fifth of older people feel lonely all the time, and a quarter of them become steadily lonelier as time went on. People reported that loneliness was the worst at weekends, and three quarters felt the effects strongly at night.
In the past, loneliness has been linked to health problems like high blood pressure, and increased risk of stroke, heart attack and depression.
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John Cacioppo, a psychologist at the University of Chicago recommends thinking twice before uprooting yourself during retirement. Moving away to “greener pastures” may have certain appeals, but it can often take you away from your support network of friends and family.
In the light of these studies, it follows that people need to feel involved and valued by those around them. The results also reflected that company alone was perhaps not enough.
If you know someone you think might be lonely, maybe you can invite them to take part in some activities with you and your friends. Phone calls are a great way to stay in touch with people who are further away, especially if you involve someone in your life by asking them for their advice on various subjects. Pets have also been shown to be great in alleviating loneliness.
And if you’re looking to interact with some new friends, you can always visit our forums, or Facebook page.
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