Loneliness increases risk of death in people with obesity: Study

Rate of death for obese people 36% lower if less lonely: Study
The study looked at nearly 400,000 participants from the U.K.
'Our study highlights the importance of mental health': Author

Updated: Jan 23, 2024 / 10:00 PM CST

(NewsNation) — Social isolation increases the risk of death in people classified as obese, according to a new study.

The Journal of the American Medical Association found that treating loneliness could significantly lower health complications.

Data showed that the rate of death for obese people was 36% lower in those who felt less lonely. The study looked at nearly 400,000 participants from the U.K. BioBank, a large-scale biomedical database of genetic and health information in the United Kingdom.

“To date, dietary and lifestyle factors are the major focus in preventing obesity-related illness,” Dr. Lu Qi, lead author of the study, told CNN. “Our study highlights the importance of taking social and mental health into account in improving health for people with obesity.”

More than a billion adults worldwide reportedly feel very or fairly lonely, according to a Meta-Gallup survey published in October of 2023.

The survey came in the wake of the World Health Organization‘s warning of the dangers of loneliness, the report said. WHO called attention to the social well-being of humans, which influenced the research behind the survey.