6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.com

Hello this is 6 minute English from BBC learning English. I'm Neil and I'm Beth. What's up Beth? You look a little

sad. Well recently I've been spending lots of time with my cat and houseplants if you

know what I mean. I'm feeling a bit lonely.

It might help to know that you're not the only one feeling lonely.

Loneliness has been called the modern epidemic,

although millions of us live together in towns and cities, more and

more people report feeling lonely and unconnected to those they live close to.

Loneliness can affect anyone, and while everyone's experience of loneliness is

different its effects can be serious. Research has shown that loneliness

puts people at greater risk of many health issues

including dementia and heart disease. So how can loneliness be fixed?

In this program we'll be hearing about one project in the Netherlands

aiming to do just that. And as usual,

we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary as well. But first I have a question for you

Beth. Here in the UK an organization called The Campaign to End Loneliness has been offering

advice and support since 2011. So according to the campaign, what proportion of British adults report feeling lonely at least some of the time?

Is it A, 29%, B, 39% or C 49%.

I would guess it's 39%.

Okay, Beth, I'll reveal the answer later in the program.

Feeling lonely is not necessarily the same as being alone.

Some people can happily spend lots of time on their own, while others may be surrounded

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