Although we’re more connected than ever in some ways, many parts of the world are facing what’s being called a “loneliness epidemic”, with over 42 million adults over age 45 in the US suffering from chronic loneliness.

New research says that this widespread social isolation is a major threat to public health, perhaps even deadlier than obesity. The issue is only set to get worse too because of a decreasing number of children per household, declines in marriage, and an aging population.

“Being connected to others socially is widely considered a fundamental human need — crucial to both well-being and survival. 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,” Julianne Holt-Lunstad, professor of psychology at Brigham Young University, said in a statement.

“Yet an increasing portion of the U.S. population now experiences isolation regularly.”

The study, the largest ever of its kind, was recently presented at.....

https://www.infoislife.com/loneliness-social-isolation-deadlier-obesity/