Loneliness and Life Expectancy

"Ask people what it takes to live a long life," begins the press release from Brigham Young University, "and they’ll say things like exercise, take Omega-3s, and see your doctor regularly."

Then comes the kicker, "Now research from Brigham Young University shows that loneliness and social isolation are just as much a threat to longevity as obesity." And there is no doubt that despite the internet, smart phones, texting, and Skype, people are more lonely than ever.

Tim Smith is professor of counseling psychology and special education at BJU and co-author of the study commented, “Not only are we at the highest recorded rate of living alone across the entire century, but we’re at the highest recorded rates ever on the planet. With loneliness on the rise, we are predicting a possible loneliness epidemic in the future.”

As we get older we can see the roots of loneliness. Children move away. Friends move away or as time continues to pass, friends die. Church attendance is down in America as is involvement for those who do attend on Sunday mornings. We can feel "old and in the way." We can feel that we're a burden on others. Add to that divorces or just unhappy isolated spouses with no energy for renewing their marriage.

It's a recipe for emotional disaster and now we learn a recipe for physical disaster.

The good news is that loneliness can be cured and the problems reversed. According to Smith, "In essence, the study is saying the more positive psychology we have in our world, the better we’re able to function not just emotionally but physically."

And reversing loneliness is more than just a good thing personally. It spreads the health when we engage others who may be lonely--particularly young people who the BJU study found are more vulnerable to the dangers of loneliness than seniors. In fact, the study found, "Although older people are more likely to be lonely and face a higher mortality risk, loneliness and social isolation better predict premature death among populations younger than 65 years."

Loneliness is one of the questions I take on in my new book Pears, Grapes, and Dates: A Good Life After Mid-Life. (Also available at Amazon and soon on Kindle). No one should have to die of loneliness.