February 19, 2010
Boredom Linked to Early Death
A survey showed bored people may be more likely to die
of heart disease.
Boredom Linked to Early Death
A survey showed bored people may be more likely to die
of heart disease.
SUMMARY: Boredom may be associated with an early death, according to
Annie Britton and Martin Shipley of University College London. They caution
that boredom by itself may not kill you, but it could be a symptom of other risky
behavior such as drinking, smoking, taking drugs or having a psychological
problem.
The researchers studied 7,500 questionnaires completed between 1985 and
1988 by civil servants in London. The participants were asked if they felt
bored while at work during the previous month. Britton and Shipley then
tracked down how many had died by April of 2009. The conclusion: The
bored subjects were two and a half times more likely to have died of a heart
problem than those who had said they weren't bored.
However, the effect was reduced when the authors made a statistical
adjustment for other risk factors like physical activity and employment. Other
experts said the link between boredom and more heart problems was
possible even if not direct.
"Someone who is bored may not be motivated to eat well, exercise, and have
a heart-healthy lifestyle. That may make them more likely to have a
cardiovascular event," said Dr. Christopher Cannon of Harvard U. He also
said if boredom was linked to depression, it wouldn't be surprising if bored
people had more heart attacks. Depression has long been recognized as a
risk factor for heart disease, and dangerous hormones that can stress the
heart may be released in the bodies of bored people.
While everybody is occasionally bored, Sandi Mann of the U. of Central
Lancashire said, people who are chronically bored should be the ones who
are most worried.
To read the entire article, click on this link to USA TODAY.
COMMENT: If boredom is really a risk factor for heart disease and an early
death, it is a risk factor that would seem in most cases to be one that could be
easily alleviated.
First, if we are the ones who are bored, we should figure out how to keep busy.
Busy people are not as likely to be bored. There are loads of hobbies one
can chose from if there is a lot of spare time to fill. Secondly, if we know
people who are bored, perhaps because they are lonely, is it possible to
befriend them and provide them ways to become more interested in life?
We Christians never really need to be bored. We can immerse ourselves in
church activities such as worship services, Bible studies, and church
organizations. We have the Word of God which we can study with the help of
commentaries and perhaps audio-visual aids. Those of us who are interested
in creation science never get tired of hearing more and more of the wonders
in nature that show God's creative hand.
If we need a motivation to keep interested in life, think of the words of Jesus:
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my
Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am
going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where
I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." (John 14:1-4, NIV)
Preparing for that trip can keep us very busy until we take it.
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QUESTION OF THE DAY
In what proportion of traffic accidents is alcohol involved?
****************************************************************************************************
Annie Britton and Martin Shipley of University College London. They caution
that boredom by itself may not kill you, but it could be a symptom of other risky
behavior such as drinking, smoking, taking drugs or having a psychological
problem.
The researchers studied 7,500 questionnaires completed between 1985 and
1988 by civil servants in London. The participants were asked if they felt
bored while at work during the previous month. Britton and Shipley then
tracked down how many had died by April of 2009. The conclusion: The
bored subjects were two and a half times more likely to have died of a heart
problem than those who had said they weren't bored.
However, the effect was reduced when the authors made a statistical
adjustment for other risk factors like physical activity and employment. Other
experts said the link between boredom and more heart problems was
possible even if not direct.
"Someone who is bored may not be motivated to eat well, exercise, and have
a heart-healthy lifestyle. That may make them more likely to have a
cardiovascular event," said Dr. Christopher Cannon of Harvard U. He also
said if boredom was linked to depression, it wouldn't be surprising if bored
people had more heart attacks. Depression has long been recognized as a
risk factor for heart disease, and dangerous hormones that can stress the
heart may be released in the bodies of bored people.
While everybody is occasionally bored, Sandi Mann of the U. of Central
Lancashire said, people who are chronically bored should be the ones who
are most worried.
To read the entire article, click on this link to USA TODAY.
COMMENT: If boredom is really a risk factor for heart disease and an early
death, it is a risk factor that would seem in most cases to be one that could be
easily alleviated.
First, if we are the ones who are bored, we should figure out how to keep busy.
Busy people are not as likely to be bored. There are loads of hobbies one
can chose from if there is a lot of spare time to fill. Secondly, if we know
people who are bored, perhaps because they are lonely, is it possible to
befriend them and provide them ways to become more interested in life?
We Christians never really need to be bored. We can immerse ourselves in
church activities such as worship services, Bible studies, and church
organizations. We have the Word of God which we can study with the help of
commentaries and perhaps audio-visual aids. Those of us who are interested
in creation science never get tired of hearing more and more of the wonders
in nature that show God's creative hand.
If we need a motivation to keep interested in life, think of the words of Jesus:
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my
Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am
going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where
I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." (John 14:1-4, NIV)
Preparing for that trip can keep us very busy until we take it.
****************************************************************************************************
Want to be automatically notified each time there is a new post? Just e-mail
your request to [admin@lutheranscience.org].
****************************************************************************************************
QUESTION OF THE DAY
In what proportion of traffic accidents is alcohol involved?
****************************************************************************************************
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| LSI stands for the Lutheran Science Institute, an organization of WELS and ELS Lutherans interested in science and health issues with a special emphasis on the creation and evolution controversy. This blog's purpose is to search the Internet to find articles of interest to Christians. Views expressed are those of the author (Warren Krug) and are not necessarily those of the Lutheran Science Institute, Inc. |
About one-third. Driving requires being alert
at all times, and even a little bit of alcohol
can affect alertness and response time.
People under age 45, motorcyclists and
people with a history of driving drunk are
most likely to be involved in accidents of this
type.
Source: USA Weekend (Jan. 29-31, 2010)
at all times, and even a little bit of alcohol
can affect alertness and response time.
People under age 45, motorcyclists and
people with a history of driving drunk are
most likely to be involved in accidents of this
type.
Source: USA Weekend (Jan. 29-31, 2010)
