A meta-study covering more than 300,000 participants across all ages reveals that adults get a 50 percent boost in longevity if they have a solid social network
A long lunch out with co-workers or a late-night conversation with a
family member might seem like a distraction from other healthy habits,
such as going to the gym or getting a good night's sleep.
But more than 100 years' worth of research shows that having a healthy
social life is incredibly important to staying physically healthy.
Overall, social support increases survival by some 50 percent, concluded
the authors behind a new meta-analysis.
The benefit of friends, family and even colleagues turns out to be just
as good for long-term survival as giving up a 15-cigarette-a-day smoking
habit. And by the study's numbers, interpersonal social networks are
more crucial to physical health than exercising or beating obesity.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Social Ties Boost Survival by 50 Percent: Scientific American
Author: Katherine Harmon
