January 23, 2024 — Loneliness is known to be a serious health problem, and a new report claims that obese people suffer more acutely.
„So far, dietary and lifestyle factors have been the main focus in preventing obesity-related diseases,“ said Lu Qi, MD, lead author of the study published Monday. JAMA network open On CNN.
„Our study highlights the importance of considering social and mental health in improving the health of obese people,“ said Professor Chee of Tulane University.
CNN „Data show that all causes of death among people classified as obese were 36% lower in people who reported lower levels of loneliness and social isolation.“
The study found that social isolation was a greater risk factor for all causes of death, including cancer and cardiovascular disease, than lifestyle risk factors such as depression, anxiety, alcohol, exercise, and diet. did.
The study looked at information from around 400,000 people from the UK Biobank, a large database for long-term research. Study participants initially did not have cardiovascular disease, and researchers followed them from March 2006 to November 2021.
Qi said it is time to „integrate social and psychological factors with other dietary and lifestyle factors in the development of intervention strategies to prevent obesity-related complications.“
The study results suggest that improving social isolation could be a „potential treatment to reduce mortality,“ said University of Texas Southwestern University, which was not involved in the project. said Dr. Philip Scherer, professor of internal medicine at the School of Medicine.