What Is Lifestyle?
A person's lifestyle reflects his or her attitudes and values. Lifestyle is also an important factor in health. It influences the risk of disease and the length of life. People can reduce their risk of serious diseases by adopting healthy activities and habits, such as regular exercise; eating a balanced diet; not smoking; limiting alcohol consumption; and getting enough sleep. A healthy lifestyle may also include spirituality and a positive attitude towards life.A common definition of lifestyle includes personal choices and behaviours, such as the way a person dresses or where he or she lives. It can also refer to a lifestyle's influence on the environment and a person's relationships with others. A popular slogan is that 'health is a lifestyle', meaning that good health is a combination of many different choices and behaviours.The term 'lifestyle' has been used in various fields of research, but it is difficult to find a consistent definition. Psychological studies, for example, have made use of the concept of lifestyle to describe a set of personal choices and attitudes that contribute to the individual's sense of self and to his or her well-being. These choices and attitudes can be very specific, such as the person's preferred type of music or food. They can also be broader, such as the person's worldview or values.Studies of lifestyle have also taken into account the underlying motives and motivations for these choices. For example, the 1960s work of Rokeach linked lifestyle to a person's value system. This author argued that individuals had a few hierarchically ordered values, and these were linked to his or her behavioural patterns. These values were also based on a person's personality and interests.More recently, researchers have emphasised the importance of the internal interpretation of lifestyle. The most influential currents of research in this area have been described as lifestyle psychology and the psychobiological approach. These conceptualisations have given greater weight to the inner dimensions of thought, which are related to personality and emotions. They have also emphasised the relationship between lifestyle and consumption.The concept of lifestyle has been developed further in the fields of sociology, consumer culture and marketing. In the field of marketing, lifestyle is used to describe a person's purchasing habits and preferences. It is considered an important factor in market segmentation and it is used by companies to target groups of customers who share similar interests. Lifestyle is also widely used in fashion and design, and magazines and television shows often feature celebrities with fashionable clothes and jewellery. For example, the popular designer fashion brand Burberry advertises with images of young women with expensive clothing and cars. These advertisements are intended to appeal to young female consumers with a particular lifestyle.