WHO: Loneliness is as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day
The World Health Organization has set up an international commission on loneliness and says the "disease" is as bad for people's health as smoking 15 cigarettes daily.The commission will last three years and is headed by US surgeon Dr. Vivek Murthy and African Union youth envoy Chido Mpemboi. Also included are 11 human rights activists and ministers from different countries, the Guardian reported. The idea for such a structure was born after COVID-19 halted people's economic and social activity and concurrently increased loneliness.
As Mpemba stated, "social isolation knows no age or boundaries... And loneliness is becoming a global public health problem and affects all aspects of health." According to Murthy, the health risks of loneliness are as serious as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and even more so as obesity and physical inactivity.
And while loneliness is often seen as a problem in developed countries, Murthy said the rates of social isolation for one in four older adults are similar in all regions of the world and are associated with a 50 percent increased risk of dementia and a 30 percent increased risk of coronary heart disease or stroke.
With regard to young people, the figures - which are probably underestimates - indicate that between 5 and 15 percent of adolescents experience loneliness, which can lead to poorer economic outcomes. The expert believes that feeling disconnected and lack of support at work, leads to lower productivity and loss of job satisfaction. Murthy adds: "These problems do not affect just one country, but are an underestimated public health threat to the entire world."