Lifestyle can be
termed as the characteristics of people of a region in special time and place
encompassing day to day behaviours and functions of individuals in their
various walks of life.
Surveys suggest 60%
of related factors to individual health and quality of life are correlated to
lifestyle as a large number of people follow unhealthy lifestyle resulting in
multiple ailments and serious health complications. Problems like metabolic
diseases, joint and skeletal problems, cardio-vascular diseases, hypertension,
overweight, violence and so on, can be at times be attributed to an unhealthy
lifestyle.
With the passage of
time, substantial changes have occurred in our lives. For example, unhealthy
diet, erratic eating habits, smoking, alcohol consuming, drug abuse, stress etc
are the presentations of unhealthy life style that they are used as dominant
form of lifestyle as also people face new challenges. For instance, emerging
new technologies within IT such as the internet and virtual communication
networks, lead our world to a major challenge that threatens the physical and
mental health of individuals. The challenge is the overuse and misuse of the technology.
Available studies suggest
that lifestyle has a significant influence on physical and mental health of
human being. There are different forms of such influences. Consanguinity in
some ethnicity is a dominant form of life style that it leads to the genetic
disorders. Reformation of this unhealthy lifestyle is a preventing factor for
decreasing the rate of genetic diseases. In some countries, the overuse of
drugs is a major unhealthy lifestyle. Also, in 15–40% of cases people use
medications without prescription. While self-medications such as antibiotics
can have a negative effect on the immune system, if the individual would be
affected by infection, antibiotics will not be effective in treatment. Overall,
10 percent of those who are self-medicated will experience severe complications
such as drug resistance. Sometimes drug allergy is so severe that it can cause
death.
In nutshell, variables
of lifestyle that influence health can be categorized as follows:
1.
Diet and Body Mass Index (BMI): Diet is the
greatest factor in lifestyle and has a direct and positive relation with health.
Poor diet and its consequences like obesity is the common healthy problem in
urban societies. Unhealthy lifestyle can be measured by BMI. Urban lifestyle
leads to the nutrition problems like using fast foods and poor foods,
increasing problems like cardiovascular.
2.
Exercise: For treating general health
problems, the exercise is included in life style. The continuous exercise along
with a healthy diet increases the health. Some studies stress on the relation
of active life style with happiness.
3.
Sleep: One of the bases of healthy
life is the sleep. Sleep cannot be apart from life. Sleep disorders have
several social, psychological, economical and healthy consequences. Lifestyle
may affect sleep as it has a clear influence on mental and physical health.
4.
Sexual behaviour: Many term normal sex relation as
necessary in healthy life. Dysfunction of sex relation is the problem of most
of societies and it has a significant effect on mental and physical health. It
can be said that dysfunctional sex relation may result in various family problems
or sex related illnesses.
5.
Substance abuse: Addiction is considered as an
unhealthy life style. Smoking and using other substances may result in various
problems; cardiovascular disease, asthma, cancer, brain injury.
6.
Medication abuse: Unhealthy behaviours in using
medication are self-treatment, sharing medication, using medications without
prescription, prescribing too many drugs, prescribing the large number of each
drug, unnecessary drugs, bad handwriting in prescription, disregard to the
contradictory drugs, disregard to harmful effects of drugs, not explaining the
effects of drugs.
7.
Application of modern technologies: Advanced
technology facilitates the life of human beings. Misuse of technology may
result in unpleasant consequences. For example, using of computer and other
devices for long hours, may affect the pattern of sleep and it may disturb
sleep. Addiction to use mobile phone is related to depression symptoms.
8. Recreation: Leisure pass time is a sub factor of life style. Neglecting leisure can bring negative consequences. With disorganized planning and unhealthy leisure, people endanger their health.
9. Study: Study is the exercise of soul. Placing study as a factor in lifestyle may lead to more physical and mental health. With a look at existing studies in health domain, 9 key factors can be suggested for healthy life style . In regard to each factor, the systematic planning in micro and macro level can be established. It can provide a social and individual healthy lifestyle.
……..
*Disclaimer: The article is suggestive in nature and may have varied
impact on individuals and it does not in any manner claims an alternative to
doctor’s advice.
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29 Jan, 2024
29 Jan, 2024
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