It’s a provocative question, and well worth exploring. The easy response is “Maybe.” Health is a complicated, sometimes quirky, concept. It may be easy to conclude that the body builder in the skimpy bathing suit with a hunky bod is the healthier person … “clearly” more healthy than you or I.
But not so fast; it ain’t necessarily so …
Lately science is increasingly acknowledging the intangible impacts of various factors on our lives. These cannot be measured or quantified easily, but new data suggest that these intangibles have a correlation to one’s health.
Hence my choice of topic for this issue of this newsletter: loneliness and its impact on health. One common effect of being lonely is higher levels of stress hormones and inflammation. These two are known to increase the risk of heart disease, arthritis, Type 2 diabetes, dementia, and even suicide thoughts/attempts. So it seems a no-brainer that connectedness with the world around you and the people in it can determine how long you live and how happy you are as you do it.
But don’t just take my word for it. If the scientist or the skeptic in you needs more data supporting this topic that’s so hard to judge and quantify, here you go:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/09/opinion/sunday/loneliness-health.html
Social isolation most certainly relates to this. But can you be lonely even if your life is full of people? To clarify:
“Social isolation denotes few social connections or interactions, whereas loneliness involves the subjective perception of isolation.” NYT
Check out this great article if you are lonely or have friends or family that this may apply to:
Denise’s
2 Cents:
From the holistic standpoint, the ideas of connectedness, intimacy, and community are assumed to be the keys to a healthy life.
I quote none other than the Dalai Lama, who has said that the cause of depression is sometimes: “the lack of connection.” I understand him to mean this in the broadest sense. It’s not difficult to conclude that depression and feelings of isolation can go hand in hand.
SO, yes, your food choices, sleep time, exercise, and a healthy weight are all important. However, for someone who is truly lonely and isolated, I’m thinking these lifestyle factors are not much help. If you know of someone who suffers from loneliness, reach out and call that person. Ask them how they are doing and feeling. And hey- No texting!