Loneliness, the new “disorder” that can kill as much as obesity, smoking addiction and drug abuse

Causes an increase in heart attacks, insomnia, obesity, depression, diabetes and other health disorders such as increase the risk of premature death. Loneliness is the new “ailment” affecting people regardless of where they live or who they are. To sound the alarm is Vivek Murthy“surgeon general” of the United States, one of the highest offices in the health sector, who in a recent speech urged citizens and public officials to consider the consequences of loneliness and isolation with the same urgency with which they are treated other serious conditions, such as obesity, smoking addiction and drug abuse.

According to Murthy, addressing the condition of loneliness in which a high percentage of people live “must be a public health priority to be considered on a par with tobacco addiction, substance use disorders, obesity and other problems that we know have a profound impact on people’s lives.” In his 81-page report, the official explains that about half of American adults live in the mental condition he denounced which, due to the repercussions on health, can increase the risk of premature death by 30%.

Murthy, who she also wrote about her own personal experience with loneliness and feeling isolated for several years, said the pandemic has brought the disruption of social cohesion to the fore. But as the advisory points out, the issue has arisen since the 1970s for a myriad of reasons, including changes in social norms, built environments and, of course, technology.

Surveys have found that between 2003 and 2020, the time spent by Americans alone has increased by 24 hours a month while that spent physically with friends decreased by 10 hours a month. Adolescents and adults reported being online “almost constantly” but at all ages there was a decline in the number of friends and physical encounters. These changes, coupled with the influx of home deliveries and other changes that limit personal interactions, can leave people “disconnected” from the social network.

“It’s a normal part of the human experience and a sense of loneliness is, in many ways, like hunger or thirst,” Murthy said. “It’s a signal that our body sends us when we lack something we need to survive.”

However, without addressing the issue, lack of social connection contributes to increased hospital admissions and dementiabut also create a vicious cycle of anxiety and depression that one-third of U.S. adults reported experiencing, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, social isolation has been exacerbated by the closure of schools and workplaces to stop the spread of the virus. And there is still a slice of public officials who say schools have been closed too long, resulting in worsening mental health among students.

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