What’s As Dangerous As Smoking 15 Cigarettes a Day?
What’s as dangerous as smoking 15 cigarettes a day? The epidemic of loneliness facing many Americans, says U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, BBC News reports.
Murthy told BBC News he was one of millions of Americans who have experienced a “profound sense of loneliness.” As many as 50% of all Americans are thought to be affected by social isolation, which health experts say should be treated as seriously as obesity or drug abuse.
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the issue, causing many people’s social circles to shrink. One study found “a 16% decrease on average in the social network size of participants from June 2019 to June 2020.”
In response, Murthy has issued a new public health warning, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation 2023: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community.
Murthy shared that his battles with loneliness occurred in 2017, during and immediately after his first stint as U.S. Surgeon General.
“I had neglected my family and my friends during that time, thinking that it was too hard to focus on work, and focus on family and friends,” he shared.
“I was really suffering from the consequences of that, which were a profound sense of loneliness that followed me for weeks, which stretched into months.”
Loneliness is a “profound public health challenge,” a threat to physical and mental health, says Murthy. A lack of social connection increases the risk of premature death by 30%, due to related health issues like diabetes, heart attacks, insomnia, and dementia.
“It … may surprise people to learn that the increased risk of premature death that’s associated with social connection is on par with the risks that we see from smoking daily, and greater than the risk we see associated with obesity,” he said.
Likewise, loneliness affects overall wellbeing, leading to lower academic achievement and worse performance at work.
Murthy calls for a collective effort “to mend the social fabric of our nation.” His advisory recommends a six-pronged strategy tackle the problem by strengthening our social infrastructure and destigmatizing the issue.
But Murthy said that there “are steps we can take as individuals” as well – such as spending even 15 minutes with loved ones, avoiding distractions such as devices while speaking to people, “and looking for ways to help one another.”
“Service is a powerful antidote to loneliness,” he noted.
Read the full article here.
Armstrong, Kathryn and Debusmann, Bernd Jr. “US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy recounts bout of profound loneliness.” BBC News, 2 May 2023, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65461723.
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