The lifestyle construct has been a topic of interest in the psychological and sociological fields for years. Two main perspectives and research have been followed by both fields, which are illustrated in the table below.
Psychologically, the concept of lifestyle focuses on attitudes, interests and values, and the ways in which they converge with behaviours and ways of being. The concept of a lifestyle is also linked to personal identity, which is the way in which the person perceives himself or herself and his or her place in society.
It has been argued that the lifestyle is an essential aspect of an individual’s personality, which influences his or her actions. In particular, the lifestyle is said to determine the manner in which a person manages his or her daily activities and decides what to do. The lifestyle can also be seen as a factor in the development of health-related problems. It is argued that people who have healthy lifestyles are less likely to be affected by non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, and are generally more satisfied with life.
A healthy lifestyle consists of a combination of habits for how you spend your time, eat, energize yourself and engage with the world around you. It includes a healthy diet and regular exercise, as well as not smoking or engaging in other unhealthy behaviours. The concept of a healthy lifestyle is closely related to the idea of wellbeing, which includes both psychological and physical well-being.
Sociologically, the lifestyle concept has been interpreted according to a number of models and theories. Some of these have focused on external causes, while others have been based on internal factors. For example, Georg Simmel carried out formal analyses of the lifestyle concept, analysing processes that generate it and effects generated by it, understood both “vertically” and “horizontally”. A similar approach was adopted by Pierre Bourdieu in his concept of the field, which he identified as a basic point of intersection between the structure of the social field and the activities connected with the habitus.
Other definitions have opted for an internal interpretation, with some emphasising that the lifestyle is a system of values and interests (Rokeach). These have been analysed both from synchronic and diachronic points of view and interpreted on the basis of socio-cultural trends. This leads to the so-called profiles-and-trends approach, which considers personality traits and mental and behavioural characteristics, and pays particular attention to the fact that socio-cultural trends influence the diffusion of lifestyles within a given population. This is the approach that has been mainly used by psychologists and sociologists. It is worth noting that, although it has a high level of validity, this type of analysis does not fully explain the phenomenon and its dynamic nature. The concept of the healthy lifestyle, on the other hand, takes into account the dimensions of wellbeing and is therefore a more holistic approach. In addition, it can be adapted to different contexts and cultures.