The Concept of Lifestyle and Its Influence on Health Behaviours
A healthy lifestyle is a multifaceted approach to health that encompasses the way you eat, sleep, exercise and interact with others. It also includes other things such as work, stress management and relationships. It is the sum of all these choices and actions that determines a person’s health, well-being and even longevity. It’s not always easy to adopt a healthy lifestyle, but knowing the right habits can help. Some of these include being hydrated, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet and not smoking. These habits can reduce your risk of many diseases, including heart disease and cancer, while improving your mental health and physical fitness.The concept of a healthy lifestyle is widely debated and has been subject to several studies and researches. However, its definition has been different in each context and, therefore, there is no common definition of a healthy lifestyle. This article aims to reconsider the main models and theories of this concept, analysing them from three perspectives: internal, external, and temporal. The outcome of this analysis is a new framework for understanding the concept of lifestyle and its influence on health behaviours.In the context of psychology, the term ‘lifestyle’ was first used by Alfred Adler to refer to a style of personality that emerges in adulthood as a system of judgements that governs one’s decisions. This framework of behavioural choice is characterised by a set of principles and a way of living that is unique to each individual and that defines their modus vivendi.Social science, on the other hand, began to understand the concept of lifestyle as a social phenomenon, defining it as an aggregate of individual behavioural patterns that distinguishes members of specific groups or classes. Weber, for example, analysed these individual behavioural patterns in order to establish distinctions between status groups and show the role that lifestyle plays as an expression of identity.These models also emphasise that individual behavioural patterns are determined by dynamic forces at a sociocultural level and the way they change and evolve over time. The result of these processes is that people’s lifestyles reflect and adapt to the cultural, economic and social conditions in which they live.Moreover, they explain that a person’s lifestyle is the way they choose to satisfy their needs and desires. For example, people with a more traditional lifestyle tend to be more oriented toward satisfying the need for security and social recognition. In contrast, those with a more libertarian lifestyle are often more focused on self-gratification. These differences in lifestyle are what makes up the diversity of the world’s population and its unique cultures. In turn, this diversity represents a wealth of possibilities that can be exploited for the benefit of everyone. This is why it is so important to understand and respect the diverse lifestyles that exist in the world today. This is the only way we can ensure that this richness is preserved for generations to come.