A study published Monday by JAMA Network Open finds that people with obesity who manage loneliness and social isolation are at a lower risk of health complications.
The analysis examined factors between mortality and treatment toward feelings of social isolation (the lack of outreach to people and sources) and loneliness (a self-perceived detachment with others).
According to the study, researchers analyzed nearly 400,000 individuals from the United Kingdom from the UK BioBank, a large, long-term biomedical database.
The participants, who did not have cardiovascular disease or cancer during the starting data collection, received follow-ups between March 2006 and November 2021 and answered self-reported questionnaires relating to loneliness and social isolation.
According to CNN, the report found that “all causes of death for people classified as obese was 36% lower in people who felt less lonely and socially isolated.”
Additionally, “Social interaction and support may reduce stress, promote healthy behaviors, provide emotional support, and reduce the risk of (cardiovascular disease) through positive social engagement,” as suggested by the study.
On the other hand, social isolation was particularly found to be the greatest risk factor of all causes of death, compared to challenges such as anxiety and depression, per Medical News Today.
What has been said about the study’s results
The results affirmed previous beliefs of the benefits social interaction has on overall health.
Dr. Lu Qi, the corresponding author and a professor at Tulane University School of Public Health, wrote to CNN, “Our study highlights the importance of taking social and mental health into account in improving health for people with obesity.”
Turhan Canli, professor of integrative neuroscience at New York’s Stony Brook University, told CNN, “We all may feel lonely from time to time, but when that feeling is permanent, it may act as a form of chronic stress, which is unhealthy.”
Canli added, “People who feel socially isolated or lonely tend to have unhealthy habits, such as smoking, alcohol use, poor diet (or) little exercise.”
How to control feelings of loneliness and self-isolation
Dr. Lokesh Shahani, an associate professor of psychiatry at UTHealth Houston, shared to Medical News Today multiple ideas for people to stay connected, such as:
- Finding an activity, restarting an old hobby, or learning a new skill through a class or group.
- Using technology to call or text others, especially scheduling out those times.
- Adopting a pet.
- Searching and engaging with resources and programs at the community level.
It’s also recommended by experts to self-reflect.
Rachael Benjamin, a licensed clinical social worker based in New York City, shared that in order to get out of social isolation, one needs to figure out what is limiting their ability and make attempts to combat it by reaching out to people more regularly, per Medical Xpress.