"Underrated but as Harmful as Chain Smoking"… WHO Warns About 'Igeot'

WHO Designates Loneliness as a 'Global Health Threat'
"Comparable to Smoking, Drinking, and Obesity"
Dedicated International Committee Launched to Address Loneliness

The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated 'loneliness' as an urgent global health threat and launched a dedicated international committee to address this issue. WHO pointed out that loneliness poses a health risk comparable to smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and obesity.

According to the British daily The Guardian on the 16th (local time), WHO has classified loneliness as a pressing global health threat and established a dedicated international committee called the 'Social Connections Committee' to tackle the problem of loneliness.

The launch of WHO's international committee comes amid the COVID-19 pandemic's aftermath, which caused the suspension of economic and social activities, exacerbating social isolation and loneliness, and raising new awareness of the importance of this issue, The Guardian reported.

Elderly people are walking on the streets near Tapgol Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

The 'Social Connections Committee' is composed of 11 experts, co-chaired by Vivek Murthy, the U.S. Surgeon General, and Chido Mpemba, the African Union (AU) Youth Envoy, along with Ayuko Kato, Japan's Minister in charge of measures against loneliness and social isolation and declining birthrate. The committee will operate for the next three years, analyzing the link between loneliness and health and proposing measures to promote social connections.

WHO emphasized that loneliness is a health threat comparable to smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and obesity. Social isolation seriously affects physical and mental health, loneliness is associated with anxiety and depression, and research shows it can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 30%.

Previously, Surgeon General Murthy released a report stating that loneliness is as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Loneliness is often considered a problem of developed countries, but WHO reported that one in four elderly people experiences social isolation, and this rate is similar across all regions worldwide. For the elderly, loneliness is also known to be linked to an increased risk of dementia, coronary artery disease, and stroke.

Loneliness also affects the lives of young people. Although 5-15% of adolescents reportedly feel lonely, The Guardian pointed out that this figure may be underestimated. The proportion of adolescents experiencing loneliness was more than twice as high in Africa (12.7%) compared to Europe (5.3%).

Mpemba stated, "(Loneliness) is becoming a global public health issue that transcends borders and affects all aspects of health, welfare, and development," emphasizing that "social isolation knows no age or boundaries." He added, "It is especially important to redefine the narrative around loneliness for vulnerable groups marginalized by the digital divide."

Surgeon General Murthy also noted, "Issues related to loneliness do not affect only one country," calling it an "underestimated public health threat."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.