• Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Login
Watchdog Uganda
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News
No Result
View All Result
Watchdog Uganda
No Result
View All Result

SAMUEL OBEDGIU: Loneliness, the new beast causing early trips to the grave

Watchdog Uganda by Watchdog Uganda
2 years ago
in Conversations with, Op-Ed
4 0
Samuel Obedgiu

Samuel Obedgiu

ShareTweetSendShare

Experts say the lonely are not just sadder; they are unhealthier and die younger. Loneliness is as deadly as smoking fifteen (15) sticks of cigarette daily, it’s as lethal as consuming at least six (6) liters of hard alcoholic drinks daily. A recent study shows that when people don’t socialize with friends, relatives or families, they risk having an early trip to the grave by 39%, and so does the risk of death from heart disease by 53%.

It gets even more complicated for those that live alone, they have a 77% higher risk of early death from heart complications or stroke. Readers might ask themselves what the word loneliness means in this contest. Well, it’s a gap between the level of connectedness you want and what you actually have. It’s different from being alone or socially isolated.  Loneliness is a subjective feeling; people can have multiple contacts or large families and still feel lonely.  

Bit by bit, loneliness is like a sort of hunger or thirst. It’s a healthy sign to show that you are missing something. But when it’s prolonged over time, it can emerge to be life threatening. The human brain has evolved overtime to influence our body responses in face of danger. The brain views loneliness as a threat and when lonely, its danger monitor goes into an overdrive that will trigger what we call a hyperarousal or the acute stress response, a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event or threat to survival.

When lonely, your heart rate shoots up, your blood pressure and sugar levels spike, you begin to see other people as potential threats, and not friends. This creates a vicious circle when you fear loneliness which even makes you lonelier hence high chances of developing stress, dementia, inflammation, poor immunity, depression, personality disorders and suicide. 

This is not as rare as you may think, World over atleast 33% of adults are lonely. The highest number are cited in Brazil, followed by Turkey, India, Saudi Arabia, Italy, and South Africa. In fact, annual reports from the West show that the statistics of people who die due to loneliness is way much higher than those that die due terror attacks and murders. We know what it is, we know how to cure it, it also costs relatively little, and yet it is difficult to beat because we live in a paradoxical world. 

Today the world is more connected than ever before through internet and social media, but this is making humanity even more isolated. According to reports, loneliness nearly doubled between 2012 and 2018, which coincides with the explosion of social media use and now an entire generation is at risk

Latest polls put the young adults twice as likely as seniors to report loneliness. This is because time with screens cannot substitute time with humans. The step to tackle loneliness are not high tech, one of the best strategies is to go the old school way, eat meals together, hold parties, hangouts, or play sports together, get to know your neighbors. It could be anything you like, just do it at least once a month with someone else, in flesh and blood or over a call. However, you should take caution that playing a virtual ping-pong of Instagram or Facebook reels don’t count.

At this point, loneliness is not just an individual problem but rather an epidemic, it’s a health crisis that demands government attention and involvement. Britain did it, it got Tracey Crouch its first minister for loneliness in 2018, I know it sounds bizarre and less obvious than defense or finance ministries, but many countries now think this position is a necessity. For instance, in 2021 the Japanese prime minister appointed Tetsushi Sakamoto as the country’s first ministers for loneliness and social affairs. Sweden also has Jakob Forssmed as its minister for Social Affairs and Public Health. There are even talks in other countries for the same post too.

Some countries have even gone as far as employing other measures. For instance, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Ireland and Australia have adopted what we call the chat benches where strangers can meet and talk to each other. The solutions might be difficult but my point is quite clear that as a species, humans are not meant to be lonely. We have to form connections like our life depends on it because it actually does. Philosophers say you die alone but what they don’t tell you is that it may happen a lot sooner if you are lonely.

Samuel Obedgiu is Plant scientist and Civic human rights activist

Email. sammyobedgiu@gmail.com


Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com
Share1Tweet1SendShare

Related Posts

Six Key Takeaways from the Crane Bank vs. dfcu Bank London High Court Ruling: What Ugandans Need to Know
#Out2Lunch

MIKE SSEGAWA: 6 Key Takeaways from the Crane Bank vs. dfcu Bank London High Court Ruling: What Ugandans Need to Know

26th July 2025 at 00:14
NRM party is making a bold statement in Kawempe North  with calls to Vote Hon. Faridah Nambi for MP—this is the time for Kawempe North to shine!
#Out2Lunch

SAM ORIKUNDA: Why Create ‘Do or Die’ Situations in NRM Primaries?

25th July 2025 at 10:38
Dr. Ayub Mukisa (Ph.D.)
Op-Ed

Dr. Ayub Mukisa: Why I disagree with UGX 1 Million for Parish Development Model and Advocate for Providing UGX 5 Million per Karamoja Beneficiary

23rd July 2025 at 08:42
Next Post
Parliament of Uganda, MP Mathias Mpuuga and President Museveni (inset)

FARUK KIRUNDA: Resign or continue dining with the “devil”! 

  • Prostitution in Uganda- Courtesy Photo

    10 dangerous hotspots known for prostitutes in Kampala

    1168 shares
    Share 467 Tweet 292
  • Silent Billionaire Bosco Muwonge Buys Mukwano Arcade at UGX 250 Billion Cash Down

    65 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 16
  • Who is Bosco Muwonge, Uganda’s elusive real estate billionaire?

    47 shares
    Share 19 Tweet 12
  • LIST : Gov’t releases Revised Salary Structure for Teachers, Police, and Prisons Staff for FY 2024/2025

    133 shares
    Share 53 Tweet 33
  • Uganda’s Billionaires 2025: Once Again Sudhir Ruparelia Leads a Resilient Pack

    60 shares
    Share 24 Tweet 15
Facebook Twitter

Contact Information

Watchdog Uganda is a portal for solution journalism, trending news plus cutting edge commentaries in the fields of politics, security, business, tourism, entertainment, technology, agriculture, climate change, environment, public health et al. We also give preference to Ugandan community news and topical discussions. The portal also publishes community news and topical discussions.

Email: editorial@watchdoguganda.com
To Advertise:Click here

Latest News

Hon. Nyombi Thembo champions "TOKIGEZA," urging Ugandans to report telecom vandalism, fostering a vigilant culture.

UCC’s Nyombi Calls Telecom Vandalism ‘Economic Sabotage’ Which Disconnects Livelihoods

27th July 2025 at 12:26
Mashable is a global, multi-platform media and entertainment company For more queries and news contact us on this Email: info@mashablepartners.com

Check out

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Minister Muruli Mukasa

LIST: New salary structure for civil servants starting July 2020 out; scientists, lecturers get juicy pay rise

24th May 2020 at 10:45
Pregnant woman

Shock as 17-year old boy impregnates his two sisters during Covid-19 lockdown 

17th June 2020 at 08:17
Sudhir Ruparelia is the undisputed king of Kampala

Billionaire Sudhir’s wisdom on how to invest in real estate

0

How a boy’s destiny turned from cotton grower to communications guru

0
Hon. Nyombi Thembo champions "TOKIGEZA," urging Ugandans to report telecom vandalism, fostering a vigilant culture.

UCC’s Nyombi Calls Telecom Vandalism ‘Economic Sabotage’ Which Disconnects Livelihoods

27th July 2025 at 12:26

Don’t Flee to Kampala, Middle East: Tycoon Urges Masaka Youth to Build, Thrive at Home

26th July 2025 at 23:41

© 2025 Watchdog Uganda

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News

© 2025 Watchdog Uganda