Study shows that relationships have the biggest effect on health

They actually change our physiology. In one study, groups of rabbits were given a high-fat diet to establish the effects on heart health.

One group of rabbits did particularly well. The researchers looked around and discovered that one particular researcher was petting the one group of rabbits while feeding them. She was giving them love and kindness.

• Loneliness is as much of a health risk as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, heavy alcohol use, high blood pressure, and obesity. 
• Divorce. Some studies show that a good marriage is health-protective. It's not just about being kind. It involves learning to navigate conflict.
• Education. Statistically, for every one life saved by biomedicine, education saves eight. Education is linked to having a life purpose that makes people feel optimistic.
• Stress levels. Positive interactions like hugging someone can improve our response to stress.
• Microaggressions. These are small events that happen during the day but have a cumulative health effect. Fairness, by being aware of our biases can help curb this.

When most of us think about health, we think about diet, exercise, and sleep, but access to medical care only accounts for about 20% of our health.

How we treat each other is the biggest contributor to health. The missing component of medicine is kindness, love and a strong sense of community.