Loneliness is a killer: It's as bad for your health as alcoholism, smoking and over-eating, say scientists

Me, myself and I: Loneliness can be as damaging for your health as smoking, research shows

Obesity and alcoholism may be bad for your health, but there’s a less obvious condition out there that is just as dangerous – loneliness.



According to a study the support of family, friends and neighbours can increase your chances of living to a healthy old age by 50 per cent.



But the findings, based on an analysis of more than 300,000 people, suggest social isolation is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day or being an alcoholic.



It also does more damage to your health than not exercising – and is twice as harmful as obesity.



The American scientists who made the discovery say lack of social support should be added to the ‘short list’ of risk factors for an early grave.



Dr Julianne Holt-Lunstad, of Brigham Young University in Utah, who led the study, said friends and family influenced health for the better by offering a ‘calming touch’ or by helping people find meaning in their lives.

‘When someone is connected to a group and feels responsibility for other people, that sense of purpose and meaning translates to taking better care of themselves and taking fewer risks,’ she said.



The researchers looked at data from 148 previously published studies that measured people’s social networks and tracked their health for an average of seven and a half years.



The data did not show whether people were in ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ relationships – simply the number of people they were in contact with regularly.



The authors of the study believe the health benefits of positive friendships could be even stronger. ‘The data simply show whether they were integrated in a social network,’ said Dr Holt-Lunstad.

‘That means the effects of negative relationships are lumped in there with the positive ones. They are all averaged together.’



She added: ‘Physicians, health professionals, educators, and the public media take risk factors, such as smoking, diet, and exercise, seriously: the data presented here make a compelling case for social relationship factors to be added to that list.’



The effect wasn’t just seen in older people, but appeared to improve life expectancy at every age. And the link remained even after the researchers took into account the sex, initial health and cause of death of those in the study.

Her colleague Dr Timothy Smith said: ‘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.’

A spokesman for the journal PLoS Medicine, which published the study, said: ‘The idea that a lack of social relationships is a risk factor for death is still not widely recognised by health organisations and the public.’

Previous research has shown that people who never marry are more likely to die young than those who get hitched or divorced.



Bachelors aged between 19 and 44 were more likely to die in any given year than their married male peers, a study of 67,000 Americans found.



Last year scientists at the University of Utah claimed that women suffered more from a strained marriage than men – and that they are more vulnerable to risk factors for heart disease,