Loneliness Might Be A Bigger Health Risk Than Smoking Or Obesity

Our culture is very selfish and driven by financial wealth and materialism. People are suffering tremendously in the world right now.

Loneliness Might Be A Bigger Health Risk Than Smoking Or Obesity

Actual and perceived social isolation are both associated with increased risk for early mortality. In this meta-analytic review, our objective is to establish the overall and relative magnitude of social isolation and loneliness and to examine possible moderators. We conducted a literature search of studies (January 1980 to February 2014) using MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Social Work Abstracts, and Google Scholar. The included studies provided quantitative data on mortality as affected by loneliness, social isolation, or living alone. Across studies in which several possible confounds were statistically controlled for, the weighted average effect sizes were as follows: social isolation odds ratio (OR) = 1.29, loneliness OR = 1.26, and living alone OR = 1.32, corresponding to an average of 29%, 26%, and 32% increased likelihood of mortality, respectively. We found no differences between measures of objective and subjective social isolation. Results remain consistent across gender, length of follow-up, and world region, but initial health status has an influence on the findings. Results also differ across participant age, with social deficits being more predictive of death in samples with an average age younger than 65 years. Overall, the influence of both objective and subjective social isolation on risk for mortality is comparable with well-established risk factors for mortality.

As we become more interconnected through the web and social media we in fact become less connected in a real world communal level. Humans are social animals and this issue is only growing worse and is apparently affecting older white men the most.

Death Rates Rising for Middle-Aged White Americans, Study Finds

Something startling is happening to middle-aged white Americans. Unlike every other age group, unlike every other racial and ethnic group, unlike their counterparts in other rich countries, death rates in this group have been rising, not falling.

Apparently middle aged American white men are the loneliest people on the planet. Their privilege is no longer serving them as it once was.

The mortality rate for whites 45 to 54 years old with no more than a high school education increased by 134 deaths per 100,000 people from 1999 to 2014.

Our materialist driven culture of financial success above everything including morality and ability to father children has dramatically affect our species.

#WhitePrivilege

a reply to: toysforadults

Only if you are an entitled spoiled brat.

Or are very weak mentally.

Social media and society plays a huge role in determining that.

Some people can be amongst friends and still feel lonely.

Some people can have anything they want and still feel lonely.

Some people can be alone and never feel lonely.

Some people thrive by themselves.


It all starts with you.


And ends with a you.

a reply to: toysforadults

Facebook is a clear evidence.

We have three cats, there is no way they will let us get lonely, they also make sure we are also moving, they like servants to be serving them whenever they get up.

Cats get lonely too, they need a lot of attention, even if the attention is bad. Another words, they will do things just to make you mad. Like dumping over the garbage can if you take them off the table.

originally posted by: rickymouse
We have three cats, there is no way they will let us get lonely, they also make sure we are also moving, they like servants to be serving them whenever they get up.

Cats get lonely too, they need a lot of attention, even if the attention is bad. Another words, they will do things just to make you mad. Like dumping over the garbage can if you take them off the table.

I make it a habit to never place the garbage can on the table.

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

Only if you are an entitled spoiled brat.

Or are very weak mentally.

Thanks for putting the spotlight on the problem.

Total lack of empathy.

a reply to: toysforadults

I wonder what this means for my hypothetical future self in 10 years if I become obese and smoke regularly, but still have plenty of real-life friends. Maybe smoking and eating out more often will provide me with new opportunities for friends, AKA a "healthier lifestyle" lol I'm totally kidding. Interesting topic!

originally posted by: knowledgehunter0986
a reply to: toysforadults

Only if you are an entitled spoiled brat.

Or are very weak mentally

Wow. I always viewed your posts with admiration for the thought and balance you put into them.

But this?!

Are you seriously saying the need for human companionship is for the spoiled and the weak?

This is one of the most callous posts I've seen in a while.

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

I think you may have misunderstood my post, I wasn't trying to offend anyone, just being blunt as possible.

The truth of the matter is, we are in a very entitled and narcissistic era, due to social media and pop culture in general and it has created a society of very weak and unstabled minds.

I'm only speaking from experience and I believe if loneliness can affect you to the point that it becomes worse than smoking, the problem lies within you.

Sorry again if I offend anyone but sometimes the truth can be tough.

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

The truth of the matter is, we are in a very entitled and narcissistic era, due to social media and pop culture in general and it has created a society of very weak and unstabled minds.

Maybe the culture of, "toughen up p@#$%^^" isn't helping that is it?

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986



Please do research on the mind/ body connection. If you think moods and emotional states have no bearing on our physical health longterm you are not seeing the full picture.

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

I'm not disagreeing with the fact that loneliness can affect your health, I know for a fact it can.

Let me try and be a little more clear. I am speaking from a very personal place. My sister is a social media celebrity, I won't say her name, but she has almost a million followers, and mentally she has deteriorated to the point where she has completely lost herself. She's constantly lonely, always searching for validation and vindication, she completely neglected her real self in favor of her social self and it's destroyed her. She's become so mentally unstable that I barely recognize her anymore.

And guess what? My sister isn't the only one. Most of her social friends all suffer the same thing. They have become so entrenched into their social lives that it drives and dictates all their emotions. And yes, it's affecting their health BIG time.

So again, I'm not saying loneliness can't affect you, I'm saying it DEFINITELY does. What I AM saying, is if it DOES, it's usually a product of many things like social indoctrination that has made people mentally unstable.

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

Okay so what's your prescription for lonely people who aren't social media icons?

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

You don't have to be a social media icon to suffer from it.

The prescription? See that's a tough one. How do you reverse generations of slow and subtle indoctrination? In my opinion, they want a weak and unstable society, it's much easier to control.

Again I'm not attacking or hating on those that suffer from loneliness. I myself suffered from loneliness and depression and once I persevered and came out from the other side, looking back in hindsight, it was quite obvious the problem was with me and only me.

OK I may have been a bit callous with my opening 2 lines, but it's just the truth and how I see it.

I have been living alone for over 10 yrs and I love it!! But I've always been independent and did not follow the marriage footsteps of all my friends, simply because I don't feel the need to. Now they all come over once a month for dinner and cocktails to get away from their spouses, lol.

It's a state of mind. My sister, however, cannot live alone and will jump from relationship to relationship in order not to feel alone. She's gorgeous and very lonely.

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

I actually appreciate your perspective because it offers a stark contrast to a more empathetic and communal culture. It will allow people with open eyes to read and more easily discern the truth.

Balancing the two perspectives is key to a successful outcome.

a reply to: texasgirl

That's exactly the point I'm trying to make.

Loneliness is a state of mind, usually only occupied by the weak (speaking from experience). I can gaurantee once you find yourself and are sure of who you are, you will never feel lonely again.

I think it's more that loneliness causes you to drink, smoke, lay in bed all day, etc. On the flip side, drinking, smoking, laying in bed all day, anxiety, etc. can cause no one to want to hang around you as well, and that makes you lonely. I don't think being lonely itself has health effects

a reply to: toysforadults

Hey I can only speak from experience, and I've experienced quite a bit. One thing that was constant though all of my problems and adversity, was the realization that it starts and ends with me.

originally posted by: rickymouse
We have three cats, there is no way they will let us get lonely, they also make sure we are also moving, they like servants to be serving them whenever they get up.

Cats get lonely too, they need a lot of attention, even if the attention is bad. Another words, they will do things just to make you mad. Like dumping over the garbage can if you take them off the table.

This made me laugh. My Moses would always yowls and knock stuff over if I ignored him. Definitely kept me on my toes but he was also very smart and played fetch. I trained him to sit and shake hands on command. The love from a pet can keep loneliness at bay.

I lost him in September at age 17. I'm still grieving over it.