Health and Happiness Democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health and Happiness Democracy - Essay Example Studies from California to Michigan established that social connectedness is one of the most powerful determinants of well being. According to the study, frequent participation in community activities and social gathering reduces the risk of having diseases like cancer or heart attack. On the other hand, sociologist James House and his colleague stated that social connectedness also contributes to the biomedical risk factors such as cigarette smoking and obesity. Researchers are not sure why social cohesion affects the well-being of an individual but they proposed theories why social cohesion matters. First, social networks offer assistance thereby, reducing mental and physical stress. It reinforce healthy norms and able to organize politically to ensure first-rate medical services. Another researcher named Lisa Berkman speculated that social isolation is a chronically stressful condition to which the organism responds by aging faster.