HEALTH
Hug it out
A cuddle seems to cure everything - and now science backs up your granny's wisdom. Benefits range from fighting colds to reducing blood pressure. Haven't got anyone to hug? We explore ways to keep in touch
by RUTH TIERNEY
If you regularly hug your friends, cuddle your partner and kiss the cheeks of your grandchildren, you're one of the lucky few. More and more of us feel starved of daily physical affection. A global research project called The Touch Test involving 40,000 participants in 112 countries revealed that 54% of people felt they were getting too little touch. And that was in early 2020, before the pandemic made social isolation even more acute.
These stark figures were the reason why Professor Michael Banissy, lead researcher for The Touch Test, decided to write a book on the subject, When We Touch (Orion). He's the first to point out that people's need for touch is nuanced: some of us are natural huggers and some of us flinch at the prospect. Yet the sheer number of people in the study craving more contact - and the effect of this 'touch hunger' on physical and mental health - were problems he felt needed addressing.