Aquila Children's Magazine AQUILA Magazine Best Bits | Page 78

I wonder what you’d say if I were to ask you this
question:
What could be as bad for your health as eating a triple
cheese and bacon beefburger and a large portion of
chips, followed by a deep-fried chocolate bar and a can
of pop every day, for a week?
I’m pretty sure your answer wouldn’t be ‘loneliness’, but,
surprisingly that is the correct one. Loneliness is so bad
for our health that some healthcare professionals are
calling it an epidemic 1 .
So, why are people so lonely?
Researchers think it’s because more people are living on
their own. In 2017 it was estimated that 28 per cent of all
UK households contain just one person 2 . Many of these
are elderly people, but there are many adults – including
some young people 3 – who also live alone, maybe
because they have moved away for work or to study.
Why is loneliness so bad for us? I love being
alone. Other people are AWFUL!
Of course there are people who love being alone, but
that’s not the same thing as loneliness. People who are
lonely don’t choose to spend so much time alone.
Just like elephants, dolphins and wolves (don’t forget
guinea pigs, pets are people too, ed) humans are a
social species. Elephants (and guinea pigs) may go off
on their own from time to time but they normally live
and work best as a group. We are designed just like
them.
Scientists who have done work on loneliness have found
that the brains of lonely people actually change 4 . Just
think about that for a second. That’s not good! They go
on to say that being lonely can make people anxious,
depressed, negative, stressed, tired and even ill.
Scientists believe that our survival depends on our
ability to work together as a group, and not on our
individual successes.