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20 September 2020
Good health is better than being suffering from an illness. A healthy lifestyle can be achieved by regular physical activity combined with good habits. This will have an incredibly positive influence on the individual’s entire life.
Most people frequently classify a healthy lifestyle as a supplementary endeavour, which can only be achieved only when certain needs are met. Some part of this logic is accurate, but it does not consider the impact of healthier lifestyle choices.
According to a study conducted in America, less than 3 percent of Americans fulfill the primary conditions of a healthy lifestyle. It is essential for a person to better understand those factors that impact their lifestyle and find the effective solutions that work for them.
What Impacts Your Health?
Ever noticed that even after maintaining a healthy lifestyle, you are unable to achieve good results? This is because our surroundings have a huge impact on our lifestyle. Our behaviour is affected by our eating habits, treatment, and genetics. But science illustrates that there are other factors that impact our health behaviour and happier lifestyles. We all know that cultural beliefs, traditions, and social factors are the determinants that impact the society similarly; it impacts our health in general and often affects our medical treatments and lifestyles.
Social Factors Influencing Our Lifestyle
Social factors are attitudes and behaviours that are extensively encouraged and accepted by a specific society. Social factors can have a significant impact on our health and behaviour. We human beings are really sensitive to peer pressure and are forced to follow the trends that are socially accepted.
For example, girls with obese bodies are body shamed and labeled as unattractive in a particular society. This puts the pressure on girls to resort to dieting every now and then just to get accepted in the society. This pressure can lead to harmful health conditions and stress.
Income
Your income is the key factor that influences your health and lifestyle. People earning more have better access to grocery stores and healthy foods. They are more likely to live in better surroundings with higher chances to indulge themselves in physical activities. Those individuals that earn well live longer as compared to those with lower incomes.
Having lesser earning reduces their access to better food, which results in bad health and well-being. Thus, income can directly impact your healthy lifestyle.
Education
Education is not only important for your personal learning and development; it also allows you to have better access to high paid job opportunities and have a healthy lifestyle. Such individuals are able to make good decisions about their own life, and it reduces their chances of participating in unhealthy activities. According to assignment writing service UK “education adds up to better health, and such people live longer”.
Access To Health Facilities
How easy it is for you to get access to healthcare is the greatest determinant of your living standard. People who have health insurance are more likely to pay visits to the doctor on a regular basis. They can keep themselves away from developing harmful diseases.
But not every individual has access to health insurance either due to their low income or they don’t have transportation to visit the doctor. Not being able to get health facilities can impact your health.
Housing
The place you live in has a huge impact on your physical and mental health. Poor living conditions increase the chances of developing health problems. Every individual needs to live in clean surroundings to avoid health issues and live a better life.
Moreover, the surroundings free from violence, pollution, and crime give children and adults to engage in physical activities and have peace of mind. It is essential that your house is located at a safe and sound neighbourhood free from any dangers. Housing can add value to your standard of living when it offers you a safe place to live in.
Cultural Factors Influencing Our Lifestyle
Religion, beliefs, cultural practices, and traditions collectively define the culture. As social determinants impact, your lifestyle culture plays a significant role as well. But how? Ever observe people who don’t prefer to visit doctors?
It is because it is not acceptable in their culture, and they treat themselves through herbal medicines. This might prevent people from getting treated on time, or it can result in serious medical issues.
Religious Beliefs
Certain cultures promote a healthy way of life based on their religion. Mindful meditation is common in some religions. Similarly, there are religions that have defined balanced eating habits for the people that help in their physical well-being. Regular religious practices reduce stress levels among individuals and allow them to build good relations with the people around them. This contributes to living a happy life.
In some cultures, women are reluctant to receive treatments from male doctors due to their religious trepidations. This might cause them to delay their treatment, worsening their health conditions.
Traditions
In some cultures, visiting a psychologist or psychiatrists is culturally unacceptable. Suppose you are suffering from depression or have anxiety issues that you are forced to deal with it on your own. It is a common stigma that visiting a psychologist means that you are crazy.
Similarly, in some cultures, people believe that it is necessary to receive an injection. If the healthcare professional is not giving you one, then they are not taking your illness seriously.
Socio-Economic Class
Socio-economic status is another determinant of a healthy lifestyle. It is linked with a variety of attitudes and behaviour which defines a specific lifestyle. People with different social classes have different dietary styles, attitudes toward their health, and leisure activities in some cultures being strong means to have greater energy. At the same time, other cultures would consider such people as obese.
Gender
In some cultures, smoking among men is inversely related to their education levels. Women who live with a smoker husband have less healthy eating habits while wives of non-smokers are found to be living a good life with good eating habits and efficiently participating in preventive screening.
Path To Improved And Healthy Lifestyle
These cultural and social norms have a negative as well as a positive influence on our healthy living. Like some cultural norm encourages women to maintain a healthy weight. Similarly, if you are raised in such a family where drinking and smoking is not a norm, then there are fewer chances for you to resort to such bad and unhealthy habits.
Living a healthy lifestyle not only depends on eating and exercising. There are social and cultural factors as well that impacts a healthy and happy lifestyle. Here are some of the ways that will encourage you to improve your standard of living:
- Pay regular visits to your doctor.
- Invest in educating yourself and encouraging people around you to receive an education.
- Practice mindfulness and mindful meditation
- Avoid adopting bad habits such as smoking or drinking alcohol, which not only influences the individual but their family as well.
- Normalise treatment for mental health issues and pay visits to psychologists.
Conclusion
Above mentioned are some of the social and cultural determinants that impact the healthy lifestyles that need to be addressed. You might not pay attention to these elements, but your surroundings have a great influence on your standard of living.
These factors can influence the health and well-being of you and your community. Therefore, it is advised to take part in those behaviours that keep you healthy and improves your mental and physical health.
Author Bio
Amanda Jerelyn is presently employed at Dissertation Assistance, a perfect platform with a great do my essay UK team. She is the business manager and supervises all the content and writing tasks. She has been contributing her ideas and knowledge on various online platforms.
