Is Loneliness the New Smoking

A New Look at What Really Keeps Us Alive Longer

We all know the usual advice: eat well, exercise, don’t smoke. But what if your ability to dodge death has just as much to do with dinner table chats and Saturday phone calls as it does with protein shakes?

A major new study, featured in The Economist, dives into the UK Biobank — a database of health, genetic, and lifestyle data from 500,000 Brits — to uncover what most affects longevity. And spoiler alert: it’s not just your DNA.

Key Factors Influencing Mortality Risk

Factor	Effect on Mortality Risk
Smoking	Increases risk by ~60%
Regular physical activity	Reduces risk by ~25%
Living with a partner	Roughly as beneficial as exercise
Frequent contact with family/friends	Associated with lower mortality risk
Often feeling tired (linked to mental health)	45% higher risk than energetic peers
Mother smoked during pregnancy	12% increased mortality risk
Overweight at age 10	16% increased mortality risk
High education, employment, wealth	Strong life-extending factors
Loneliness / lack of connection	Associated with greater inflammation, poor immunity, and early death

Why This Matters

The most striking stat? Genetics — often thought to be the key to how long we live — explained only 3% of mortality variability. Environmental and lifestyle factors, particularly social ones, had a far greater impact.

Feeling connected, having someone to talk to, or simply being part of a regular social rhythm turns out to be powerful health protection. Not just psychologically — but biologically.

A Toast to Connection

So, the next time someone invites you to the pub — go. Whether it’s beer, wine, or (in my case) a lime and soda, what matters most isn’t what’s in your glass. It’s who’s across the table.

Because maybe, just maybe, that catch-up chat is a quiet act of self-preservation.

Original article via The Economist (Feb 19, 2025): https://bit.ly/3EFqSCT