Isolation
increases death risk
British researchers found that social isolation could dramatically increase the risk of mortality in both men and women, even after underlying health problems are taken into account.
They concluded that simply enabling people to get out more often would not only make feel them less lonely but actively increase their life expectancy. It follows a series of studies showing higher instances of conditions such as heart disease and dementia among those who live in isolation. There have also been studies linking the emotional effects of loneliness with high blood pressure and stress-induced conditions. But the latest study goes further to establish a link between isolation and early death.
Childhood
obesity linked to genes
Researchers found that 30 per cent of the difference between the body weight of one child and another can be explained by their genes. The influence of genetics could be even greater, they added, because the study only looked at common genetic features which influence weight and not rarer mutations which may cause obesity. The team from University College london studied a random sample of 1.7 million genes in each of 2,269 children between the ages of eight and 11 who were not related to one another. They analysed the results to determine whether children who were of the same weight shared similar collections of genes which could be responsible for their body shape. Using a mathematical method they calculated that the combined effects of multiple genes were responsible for about 30 per cent of individual differences in children's weight.
Blame TV
for problems in kids
The 15 per cent of five-year-olds who spend at least three hours in front of the television each day are at a slightly higher risk of anti-social behaviour by the age of seven, Glasgow University researchers found. In contrast there was no noticeable impact of computer or other video games on behaviour, although children generally spent less time playing games than watching television. The link between television viewing and behavioural problems could be down to sleeping problems or a lack of physical activity, researchers said, while some children's temperament could influence their screen-watching habits. It could also be the case that it is what children watch on television, and not how long they spend watching it, that influences their behaviour, they added.