Labeled by the U.S. Surgeon General as an epidemic, loneliness is affecting our population at alarming rates and having a devastating impact on both our physical and mental health. In addition to contributing to the increased risks of heart disease, dementia, and stroke, lacking social connection has been proven to be as detrimental to physical health as smoking. Henry Emmons, MD, shares more about these health effects and offers some tangible steps we can all take to increase our sense of belonging.    Find the episode highlights, get related resources and view the transcript for this episode at https://experiencelife.lifetime.life/the-loneliness-epidemic-why-a-sense-of-belonging-is-essential-to-our-well-being   Have thoughts you’d like to share or topic ideas for future episodes? Email us at lttalks@lt.life — we’d love to hear from you!   Follow us on Instagram: @lifetime.life   The information in this podcast is intended to provide broad understanding and knowledge of healthcare topics. This information is for educational purposes only and should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of advice from your physician or healthcare provider. We recommend you consult your physician or healthcare professional before beginning or altering your personal exercise, diet or supplementation program.