If you are alone and stay away from the company of friends, family and colleagues than you are inviting death at a faster rate than those who are socially active. According to a new global study isolation is as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day or obesity or being an alcoholic as told by the study led by Julianne Holt-Lunstad, an associate professor of psychology at Brigham Young University in Utah state. She said “Strong relationships had an effect comparable to that of quitting smoking and a greater effect than known risk factors such as obesity and alcohol abuse.”

Those who live closer to their family and social ties have 50% more chances to live longer than those who isolate themselves from their friends, family and colleagues. For the purpose of study, the researchers at Brigham Young University followed 308, 849 people with an average age of 64 for about seven and a half years. The report is a compilation of 148 studies. The study found that those with strong personal ties lived about four yeas longer than those with weaker social ties. The study laid stress on the harmful effects of living alone and found that isolation is as bad as not exercising or twice as bad as the risk posed by obesity. The study was published in the Public Library of Science Medicine journal.

In the study published in the July issue of PLoS Medicine, another lead researcher Timothy Smith said that good relationships benefit individuals throughout their existence from childhood to later life. He further added that “This effect is not isolated to older adults. Relationships provide a level of protection across all ages. We take relationships for granted as humans, we're like fish that don't notice the water. That constant interaction is not only beneficial psychologically but directly to our physical health.” He further said “Our relationships come with more than just emotional benefits; relationships provide a sense of meaning and purpose in our lives - they can lead us to take better care of ourselves. They (relationships) can influence our longevity and our health.''

The study also revealed that friends and family are strong pillars of life and influence health in a better way. But many health organizations are yet to recognize the importance of social relationships in one’s life. Prof Holt-Lunstad said: " "Among adults over age 18, those with strong social relationships are likely to live an average of 3.7 years longer than those with weaker social relationships. The idea that a lack of social relationships is a risk factor for death is still not widely recognized by health organizations and the public. When someone is connected to a social group and feels his/her responsibility for other people, that sense of purpose and meaning translates to taking better care of themselves and taking fewer risks."

With the quantity and quality of relationships decreasing in the age of technology, the authors said the challenge is now to put this information in to good use in future. The study covered people from North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Courtesy by Google