Lifestyles

First coined by Alfred Adler in 1929, the word lifestyle (Lebensstil in German) has become commonly used within scientific and nonscientific literatures. In simple terms, the word lifestyle refers to the way in which a person or particular group of people live their lives. Although directly influenced by the environmental and living conditions to which one is exposed (e.g., natural and cultural environments, socioeconomic influences, demographic profile, and political structures), lifestyles are reflective of the chosen habits, attitudes, interests, and behaviors of individuals or groups. Lifestyles are typically dichotomized into healthy or unhealthy based on a person’s level of physical activity (or inactivity), dietary intake, alcohol consumption, and smoking behavior. A healthy lifestyle is generally characterized by people being [Page 1294]physically active, eating a healthy ...