Research indicates that loneliness is as bad for one’s health as a lack of exercise and diabetes. (Image : Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan5. (Korea Bizwire) – Research indicates that loneliness is as bad for one’s health as a lack of exercise and diabetes.
The English journal Daily Mail reported that a research team at the University of North Carolina discovered that relationships with others during adolescent and senior years influence one’s health greatly after studying the lives of Americans.
The results of the research show that if one doesn’t get along well with friends or family during their adolescent years, the risk of inflammation grows as high as when one lacks exercise.
Those who had lower levels of relationships with others had a higher BMI (body mass index) and abdominal girth. This indicates that relationships with others prevent abdominal obesity.
Lack of human contact in one’s senior years was more likely to lead to high blood pressure than diabetes.
Those who spent time with the ones they loved had a lower risk of getting heart disease and lived longer.
The research team explained that creating relationships with a wide variety of people and learning to communicate with them is more important than a healthy diet or physical activity.
The study also revealed that the correlation between relationships with others and health was weak among middle-aged individuals.
The researchers suggested that middle-aged individuals care more about the quality of their relationships rather than the quantity, which lead to a weaker correlation between relationships and health.
The results of the study were published in the periodical of the National Academy of Science (NAS).
By M.H.Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
