Friendship A Prescription for Good Health

Do you know that having good friends can do wonders for your health? Research shows! A life of booze, fags and slothfulness may be enough to earn your doctor's disapproval, but there is one last hope: a repeat prescription of mates and good conversation.

A circle of close friends and strong family ties can boost a person's health more than exercise, losing weight or quitting cigarettes and alcohol, psychologists say.

Sociable people seem to reap extra rewards from their relationships by feeling less stressed, taking better care of themselves and having less risky lifestyles than those who are more isolated, they claim.

A review of studies into the impact of relationships on health found that people had a 50 per cent better survival rate if they belonged to a wider social group, be it friends, neighbors, relatives or a mix of these.

The striking impact of social connections on well being has led researchers to call on GPs and health officials to take loneliness as seriously as other health risks, such as alcoholism and smoking.