A lifestyle is an integrated way of living, based on interests, values, attitudes and preferences, and reflected in the way one dresses, uses possessions, eats, sleeps, and spends leisure time. It also reflects the lifestyle choices of a family or group of individuals, and may be perceived as an expression of personality or culture. Generally, people use their lifestyle as an identity marker. For example, a teenager might be described as having a “rock star” lifestyle, while a retiree might have a more traditional and conservative lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle is a balanced one, which includes eating the right foods and exercising regularly. It also includes being socially active and having a positive attitude towards life.
The concept of lifestyle has been a focus of various studies and research, and the definitions used differ widely. The current literature consists of a mix of psychological and sociological approaches. The main explicit definitions are listed in Table 1.
Psychological perspectives on the lifestyle concept define and analyse it on the level of thought and action, focusing on the development of the individual personality. They largely follow the theories of Alfred Adler and emphasize the role of lifestyle as an expression of a person’s basic character established during childhood. The concept of lifestyle also appears in sociological writings, notably that of Max Weber and Bourdieu. They emphasise the importance of social class and the different levels of lifestyle.
Sociological models of the lifestyle concept have been influenced by economics and cultural theory. They describe how individuals become socialised, and the social, behavioural, and material expressions of this process. They also examine how lifestyles develop and change, and are shaped by a combination of static forces on a sociocultural level, and dynamic forces at the level of the individual.
The sociological approach to the lifestyle concept also considers a temporal dimension, which is not clearly addressed in the psychologies of the construct. This is particularly evident in the debates over the ephemerality of lifestyles, and over the idea that they are rooted in particular moments in the life cycle such as adolescence or early adulthood.
The concept of lifestyle has also been a topic of interest for health psychology. However, most current theories of health promotion limit lifestyle to the behavioural component and do not take into account other dimensions of the lifestyle construct. Critical health psychology has a different vision of a healthy lifestyle, and focuses on the concept’s interaction with other factors in the health continuum. It also emphasises the subjective experience of the healthy subject and its ability to exercise its own positioning, thus avoiding adhering uncritically to predefined and a priori criteria. This approach to lifestyle provides a new interpretation of the lifestyle concept. It is discussed in detail in the next section.