A top US health official has warned the country is facing an epidemic of loneliness that is as dangerous to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy told BBC News he was among millions of Americans who have experienced a "profound sense of loneliness". US health authorities are calling for social isolation to be treated as seriously as obesity or drug abuse.
Nearly 50% of all Americans are thought to have been affected.
Loneliness is reported to increase the risk of premature death by almost 30% - through health conditions including diabetes, heart attacks, insomnia and dementia.
Lack of social connection is also linked to lower academic achievement and worse performance at work.
www.bbc.com
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy told BBC News he was among millions of Americans who have experienced a "profound sense of loneliness". US health authorities are calling for social isolation to be treated as seriously as obesity or drug abuse.
Nearly 50% of all Americans are thought to have been affected.
Loneliness is reported to increase the risk of premature death by almost 30% - through health conditions including diabetes, heart attacks, insomnia and dementia.
Lack of social connection is also linked to lower academic achievement and worse performance at work.
US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy recounts bout of profound loneliness
US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy tells of his struggle with isolation, likened to the danger of smoking.
www.bbc.com
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