Did you know that being lonely can take as many years off your life as smoking or being overweight?
That is what Vivek Murthy, the former U.S. Surgeon General, is warning!
Appearing on the most recent episode of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Murthy said that the negative health impacts of chronic loneliness are comparable to some of the nation’s biggest killers.
“The overall mortality increase that can be related to social disconnection is comparable to the mortality impact of smoking and obesity,” he told host Kristen Welker.
“That’s how powerful and how important loneliness is.”
He cautioned that loneliness and isolation can raise people’s risk for dangerous health conditions.
Murthy astonishingly said he found that chronic loneliness is equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
“Well, it turns out that our connection with one another, this is not just a nice thing to have, it’s biologically an imperative for us,” he said. “It’s something we need for survival, just like we need food and water.”
Raising awareness about the loneliness and isolation epidemic was a large part of his work during the Biden administration, releasing an advisory to call attention to the issue in 2023. The guidance included a six-pronged plan of action, including enacting pro-connection policies, reforming digital environments, conducting more related research, and cultivating a culture of connection.
Murthy said then that the consequences of poor social connection with others include a 29 percent increased risk of heart disease, a 32 percent increased risk of stroke, a 50 percent increased risk of developing dementia for older adults, and a 60 percent increased risk of premature death. It is also connected to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Those were only some of the physical repercussions. In addition, the risk of depression among people who report feeling lonely is more than twice that of those who rarely or never feel lonely. Loneliness and social isolation in childhood also increase the risk of depression and anxiety.
In the U.S., about one in three adults report feeling lonely and around one in four report not having social and emotional support, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Certain people and groups are more at risk, including low-income adults, young adults, older adults, adults living alone, immigrants, people with a mental or physical challenge, people who are victims of violence or abuse, people facing the loss of a loved one or unemployment, and people in the LGBTQIA+ community.
