Living alone is the same health risk as smoking, according to the study – Human – Science and Technology

Living alone poses a similar health risk to smoking dozens of cigarettes a day, and social isolation increases the likelihood of cardiovascular disease, depression and dementia.

With reference to a new study, the head of the US Federal Office of Public Health, Vivek Murthy, drew attention to this. According to him, loneliness is spreading like a new epidemic and threatens young people as well, the AP agency wrote.

“We know that loneliness is a fairly common feeling that many people have. It is something like hunger or thirst. It’s the feeling our body gives us when it lacks something we need to survive,” Murthy said.

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The eighty-page study by his office aims to raise awareness that loneliness is also a health risk and can cost the health system billions of dollars a year. According to Murthy, the number of lonely people is increasing due to less popularity of church and community life, the number of single-person households is also increasing, and the covid pandemic and the advent of new technologies have significantly worsened the situation.

According to a survey, people now spend less time with friends than they used to. In 2020, it was about 20 minutes a day on average, while two decades ago it was still an hour a day. Young people between the ages of 15 and 24 limited the time spent with friends the most.

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According to scientists, loneliness increases the risk of premature death by up to a third, which is why Murthy called on employers, schools and parents to be aware that meeting in person has a positive effect on both mental and physical health. According to him, the big challenge is social networks and how to use them without losing face-to-face interactions.