Does obesity lead to loneliness and perceived social isolation in the second half of life? Findings from a nationally representative study in Germany

Abstract

Aim: Little is known about the link between obesity and loneliness as well as perceived social isolation. Therefore, the objective of this longitudinal study is to clarify whether the onset and the end of obesity is associated with changes in perceived social isolation as well as loneliness (stratified by sex) in older age. Methods: Longitudinal data were used from wave 5 (year 2014) and 6 (year 2017) of the German Ageing Survey – a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling individuals aged ≥40 years in Germany. Established tools were used to quantify loneliness and perceived social isolation. A body mass index ≥30 kg/m2 was used to classify individuals as being obese. Asymmetric fixed effects regressions were used. Results: Regressions showed that the end of obesity was associated with decreases in perceived social isolation among women (β = −0.24, P = 0.01), but not in men (with significant sex differences). The onset of obesity was not associated with changes in perceived social isolation. Neither the beginning of obesity nor the end of obesity was associated with changes in loneliness. Conclusions: Our findings emphasize the importance of overcoming obesity for women in the second half of life. As most of the existing studies were conducted in Germany, studies from other countries are of importance to understand this association better. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; 21: 836–841.