When I think of public health concerns, I think of diseases and not feelings. But the U.S. Surgeon General actually declared loneliness and isolation a national epidemic, which is really interesting. I had never thought about that before, but the more I read about it, the more it made sense.

According to the Surgeon General’s 2023 advisory, about 1 in 2 adults reported experiencing loneliness, and being socially disconnected carries a health risk comparable to smoking daily. It’s linked to higher risks of heart disease, depression, anxiety, and even premature death. The advisory put loneliness in the same category as other big public health issues like tobacco and obesity. That’s crazy.

That comparison to smoking is what got me. We treat something like loneliness as a personal issue and not a health thing, but the body doesn’t really separate the 2. Stress and isolation take a really hurt the body over time.

The flip side is that connection can protect our health. Strong relationships and community actually make people healthier and happier. So this is one more example of how the stuff that impacts our health is actually happening outside the doctor’s office and in our relationships, neighborhoods and daily lives. It’s a way to look at prevention, just a kind we don’t usually think about.