Being single will kill you faster than obesity

Loneliness is deadlier than obesity and should be considered a public health risk, experts have warned.

Those with bad social connections have a 50 percent increased risk of early death compared to those with good social connections, a review of studies on loneliness suggests.

I want to first of all make it clear that we are all complete beings, it is unsatisfactory and inaccurate to say that a woman needs a man to live a full life and the same for the other party. Another person is simply temporary or complementary.

Being single has both advantages and disadvantages to it. I would also say being single has its levels. You could be single with a child, which also has its own complexity.

Being single means that your life is solely in your hands, all decisions are made by one person. No consultation is required when quitting your job or going over to your friend's place for a sleep over. Nonetheless you have no witness. No one will bear witness to your triumphs, to your low points, your birthday, your graduation or the death of your cousin.

I of course don't want to devalue the beauty of having the peace of mind that no one is out there playing you for a fool. You never have pressure to clean the dishes or do your laundry. You never have the pressure of making it home before the man of the house, you could come back home the next day if you wanted. You never have the pressure that your nanny and your husband might be kicking it while you were away.

When you're newly single, suddenly you have so much time and energy in your hands. Depending on how the relationship ended, your emotions are very high and almost anything could trigger you. If you live in Nairobi, the cold weather suddenly feels like it has doubled and life becomes unbearable.

When you're back on the streets, it doesn't take long for you to realize you had it good with the conjugal rights, in fact it was at surplus levels. You begin to experience unexpressed, unearthed energy. You soon realize that the market is overcrowded, and the noise is playing at high volumes for you to cut through.

I don't really mean being single will kill you faster than obesity but you might want to consider attaching yourself somewhere.