April 12, 2024 — Do our brains respond differently to food cues when we’re feeling lonely or socially isolated? New research from UCLA certainly suggests this may be true. Researchers from UCLA published findings in JAMA Network Open last week from an analysis of functional MRI (fMRI) scans of 93 women with varying levels of self-reported social isolation. The women […]
January 23, 2024 — A new study of social isolation in people living with obesity tells us that this might be among the most important complications of obesity. In fact, it points to the possibility that reducing isolation could yield longer lives for people living with obesity. These results are nothing more than the observation of an association. But […]
April 17, 2023 — Writing about The Whale in Psychology Today, counselor Kari Anderson tells us the movie brings a story into view that we look away from too often. “Real people with real stories are suffering, feeling trapped in their own bodies and unable to leave their homes,” she writes. This is uncomfortable viewing for many people because, […]
December 24, 2021 — These holidays are supposed to be joyful. But we are into a second year of holidays that are bringing the sorrow of isolation, loneliness, and loss every bit as much as they are bringing joy. The uncertainty of omicron is disrupting joyful plans for many people in this season. So no, this is not our […]
August 8, 2017 — At the annual convention of the American Psychological Association Saturday, Professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad warned that feeling lonely may surpass obesity as a health risk. She said: Robust evidence suggests social isolation and loneliness significantly increase risk for premature mortality. The magnitude of the risk exceeds that of many leading health indicators. With an increasing aging […]
December 24, 2016 — A quiet plague grows acute at this time of year – social isolation. It can trigger a host of chronic health problems, including obesity. Writing in the New York Times, physician Dhruv Khullar explains: Social isolation is a growing epidemic — one that’s increasingly recognized as having dire physical, mental and emotional consequences. Since the 1980s, the […]
