Lonely Woman (Photo : Reuters)
Loneliness can kill as much as obesity and smoking does, a new study says.
Similar to a person's weight, researchers said that the feeling of being alone can be a predictor of whether an early death is more likely.
The researchers are also warning people that they should not take social relationships for granted as an epidemic for loneliness may ensue in the future, according to the Daily Mail.
The study showed that the effect of loneliness on a person's lifespan is the same, whether they prefer be lonely or if they feel alone even with people surrounding them.
"The effect is comparable to obesity, something that public health takes very seriously," said study lead author Julianne Holt-Lunstad from the Brigham Young University in Utah.
They also found that the link of being lonely and death is significantly higher among younger people.
Despite the fact that old people are more likely to get lonely, social isolation in people aged under 65 years predicts premature death more accurately.
The researchers studied nearly 35 years of studies linking social isolation and loneliness to death, and about data from 3 million participants.
They found out that being lonely can increase the chances of premature death by 26 percent, while living alone can increase the risk by 32 percent, according to the Huffington Post.
Previously, the team of researchers also discovered that the risk of death from smoking more than 10 cigarettes per day and being an alcoholic is the same for being lonely.
The researchers also found out that the effect of being lonely is the same regardless of the geographical location, race or sex of the person.
