Quiz: Do Your Friends Boost Your Health?

Quiz: How Healthy Are Your Friendships?

Find out whether your group of girlfriends is good for your mind and body

You get more than just a little help from your friends, finds a new Brigham Young University study—you get good health, too, if you have the right ones. A strong social network, especially one with healthy pals, improves your chance of living longer by 50%. It doubles your odds of surviving cancer and wards off colds. Friends may even reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, says lead study author Julianne Holt-Lunstad, PhD. And not having close bonds can be as bad for you as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. 

Consider your group of friends as you take the quiz on the following pages, and tally up how many of the following statements accurately describe your circle—and how many don't. Then look for the category that matches your score for assessment and advice.

Published November 2011, Prevention
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