Lifestyle is an increasingly important area of research and policy, but there are still significant difficulties in defining the concept. This article presents an approach to lifestyle which takes into account internal and external dimensions, thus allowing for a better understanding of the different types of behaviours which can be defined as a lifestyle. It also allows for a more accurate description of the factors which influence them, which could lead to a better design of future policies and interventions in this field.
One of the most common problems people have when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle is finding time to exercise. Whether it’s the all too familiar excuse of being too busy or not having enough energy, many people struggle to find the motivation and time to be more active. However, a lack of physical activity is a major risk factor for health-related illnesses such as heart disease and obesity. In fact, a recent study found that people who engage in at least four healthy habits—including eating a nutritious diet, being physically active, not smoking and limiting alcohol—have a 66% lower risk of mortality than those who don’t engage in any of these health-promoting behaviours.
The concept of a ‘lifestyle’ has evolved through two main perspectives and lines of research. The first perspective, which is more psychological, identifies a set of attitudes and values which characterise each person. These converge in a specific value system that tends to be stable over time and which can be distinguished from terminal values, when they are referred to as an individual’s existence, and instrumental values, when they are related to behavioural models and ways of acting.
Another line of research, mainly sociological in origin, focuses on the external dimension of the lifestyle. Theories which are of this type analyse the social position which an individual occupies in a given social structure, determining action possibilities and determining the meaning that the person gives to his or her daily activities. The most famous example of this is Thorstein Veblen’s concept of conspicuous consumption, which is adopted by people in order to distinguish themselves from the social strata they identify as inferior and to obtain emulation of those who are seen as more wealthy.
However, a common criticism of this type of model is that the concepts of position and positional strategies are used to explain behaviours which, in fact, are not intrinsically linked to these positions. For instance, Veblen’s theories have been criticised for not providing a definition of a lifestyle, with some authors arguing that a lifestyle is a collection of activities, behavioural patterns and the way in which these are organised.
The present proposal defines a lifestyle as a system of meanings, attitudes and values that define behavioural models of health practice within specific social, historical and cultural contexts. This definition may help to clarify the different aspects of lifestyle, and allow for a more accurate description of the factors that influence them, which in turn will facilitate more effective research and interventions in this field.
