Can having more friends help obese people live longer?
Improvement of Social Isolation and Loneliness and Excess Mortality Risk in People With Obesity
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
This study looked at whether people with obesity who have more social contact or feel less lonely live longer than those who are isolated or lonely.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 559 / 72
Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
This study looked at whether people with obesity who have more social contact or feel less lonely live longer than those who are isolated or lonely.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 559 / 72
Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Publication
Authors
Zhou J, Tang R, Wang X, Li X, Heianza Y, Qi L
Related Content
Claims (6)
People who experience prolonged social isolation have a 35% higher chance of dying compared to those who maintain regular social connections.
In adults with obesity, reducing social isolation is associated with a 36% decrease in the higher risk of death linked to obesity, making their mortality risk similar to that of people without obesity.
Among adults with obesity, those who experience less social isolation have a 26% lower risk of dying from any cause, even when accounting for factors like age, income, lifestyle, and existing health conditions.
Among adults with obesity, those who report feeling less lonely have a 14% lower risk of dying from any cause compared to those who feel the most lonely, but this link is not as strong as the link with social isolation and does not always hold up when other factors are taken into account.
Among adults with obesity, social isolation is linked more strongly to the risk of death from any cause than other factors like loneliness, depression, or unhealthy behaviors, and is ranked as the fourth most significant risk factor out of 14 measured.