A proper fit of both is the key to an enjoyable and productive lifestyle. The term lifestyle is used to describe the way of life of an individual or group. It includes day-to-day behaviors, interests, beliefs and patterns of consumption. These are formed in a specific cultural and geographical context.
Lifestyle was introduced by Alfred Adler in his 1929 book. He defined it as “a system of judgement, a style of personality, a sense of superiority, a way of living, and a set of attitudes and values.
Lifestyle is closely tied to individual tastes. It represents an individual’s identity, influenced by social, economic and religious factors.
A healthy lifestyle promotes health, wellbeing and harmony between the body and its environment. It also reduces the negative impacts of diseases and medical treatments.
Lifestyles are closely associated with health, and there is a link between them and chronic diseases. Some examples of these include diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart disease and stroke.
Lifestyle is a socio-economic and political issue, and there are differences between lifestyles in rural and urban areas. In some ethnic groups, the dominant life style is consanguinity. Consanguinity can cause genetic disorders.
Another important definition of lifestyle is by Georg Simmel. He argues that a lifestyle is a pattern of thoughts, and it is an essential component of a social structure.
Simmel also writes that status is stratified according to the relationship between a person’s means of production and their social position. Max Weber uses the same term, but intends it as a dialectic of prestige and recognition.
