Human Lifestyle and
Health
By
Gambhirnath Khaddar,
Head (Consultant)- Training & Counselling

Subtitles:
Definitions & concepts
Rationale
Unhealthy lifestyle
Impact of unhealthy lifestyles
Factors affecting behavior change
Approaches to lifestyle modification
Recommendations
References

Definitions
&
Concepts:

Health is a dynamic state of complete
physical, mental, social and spiritual well-
being and not merely the absence of disease
or infirmity (WHO.1984).
Health is “the capacity of people to adapt to,
respond to, or control life’s challenges and
changes” (Frankish, 1996)
Optimal health: is defined as a balance of
physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and
intellectual health.

lifestyle is a manner of
living that reflects the
person's values and
attitudes.
Lifestyle: the way of living of
individuals, families, and societies,
which they manifest in coping with
their physical, psychological, social,
and economic environments on a day-
to-day basis.

Human lifestyles refer to any
combination of specific practices and
environmental conditions reflecting
patterns of living influenced by family
and social history, culture, and socio-
economic circumstances.

Health Behavior is any activity people
perform to maintain or improve their
health, regardless of their perceived
health status or whether the behavior
actually achieves that goal.
Health promotion: the science and art
of helping people change their lifestyle
to move toward a state of optimal
health.

❑Lifestyle diseases (also called diseases of
longevity or diseases of civilization) are
diseases that appear to increase in frequency
due to lifestyle changes as:
-Atherosclerosis,
-Diabetes mellitus,
-Heart disease, -Hypertension & Stroke.
-Osteoporosis,
-Chronic Liver Disease or cirrhosis,
-Alzheimer disease,
-Cancer,
-COPD.

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Rationale:
Why tackle the topic of
man lifestyles & health???

Egypt is currently facing an epidemiological
transition characterized by:
A)Reduced mortality rates among infants
and children.
B)Rising prevalence of risk factors like
obesity, smoking and hypertension.
C) A changing socioeconomic environment

Egypt is therefore affected by a double burden of
disease.
As the result of the demographic and
epidemiological transition, the major health and
population challengers are:
1 Population growth.
2Burden of endemic infectious diseases,
chronic diseases and accidents.
3Maternal, infant and childhood mortality.
4-Increase prevalence of risk factors such
smoking and addiction and their complications.

Unhealthy
(faulty) human lifestyles habits

Physical inactivity.
• According to CDC’s
Behavioral Risk Factors
Surveillance System;
nearly 25% of adults survey
reported having no physical
activity
•The prevalence of abdominal
obesity among Egyptian men is
37.1% and 50.8% among
Egyptian women

Unhealthy eating &
faulty food habits
Prevalence of DM is
increasing in Egypt to more
than 15% among adults
(International Diabetic
Federation. 2017)

Smoking
Do you know:
Prevalence of smoking
in Egypt was high
among adolescents &
adults males (38.5%)
and 1.5% among
females (CAPMAS.
Cairo. 2016)

Drinking alcohol
WHO Regional Office for the
Eastern Mediterranean
estimates that the extent of:
Alcohol use in Egypt is
moderate

Drug abuse
Taking drugs
interferes with
concentration and
memory.
Taking drugs
interferes with
accomplishing
your goals and
dreams.

Lack of sleep, stress,

Lack of Sleep Causes;
Difficulties with memory and
learning
Increased irritability
Accidents
Illness
Lack of energy
Stress
Depression

Lack of sleep causes
Weight gain
Rapid aging
Hallucinations

Degrades Mental performance by
25% in every 24-hour sleepless
period.
Lack of Sleep:

Lack of safe measures

Lack of practicing safe sex

Impact of human lifestyles
on health
The epidemic of unhealthy lifestyles
increased the risk of health
consequences worldwide

Increased morbidities from lifestyle
diseases
Smoking, drug addiction, alcohol
abuse
Increase risk of accidents & injuries
Stress, depression, anxiety
Lack of social relationship
Increased mortalities & premature
deaths

Lifestyle as a health
problem
Almost 80% of deaths in the
Egypt today could be
prevented through a healthy
lifestyle program.

Factors affecting human
lifestyles

Theoretical Frame work for the
Healthy lifestyles
Or
Behavior change

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES
Creating a Culture that Fosters Health;
Interdependence between lifestyle and social
environment
Collective and individual lifestyles
Fostering a Collective Orientation to Health;
1. My health impacts the lifestyles of others.
2. My actions influence the lifestyles of other
people.
3. I influence the conditions in my community
that contribute to healthy lifestyles.
4. We (acting together) influence the health of
others.

Behavior Change Principles
Maximizing individual relevance -through
assessments, feedback and tailoring
Tailoring to stage-of-change, individual diet
habits, exercise preferences
Goal setting
Small-steps toward new habits
Continued feedback and reinforcement
Increasing salience and motivation through
health information, tips and reminders
Encouraging social support
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as example of social support

BEHAVIOR CHANGE TOOLS
Commitment ;
people who have initially agreed to a small request are
subsequently more likely to agree to a larger request
Prompts;
people have to remember to perform the desired actions
Norms;
social guidelines for behavior
Incentives;
particularly useful when motivation to engage in action is
low

Making Positive Changes in
Your Life
1-Stage of change model:
Pre-contemplation; unaware of the problem.
Contemplation-thinking seriously about
taking action
Preparation-making a strategy for change
Action- just do it
Maintenance-keep doing it
Relapse
Exit stage; maintaining safer life

1-
Stage of change model (as in REVOLVING
DOOR)
7-

2-Health Belief Model
1-a belief in susceptibility (or belief that you
could have the disease and not know it in the
case of undertaking screening or treatment for
conditions such as hypertension),
2-a belief in the severity of the consequences of
not taking action.
3-a belief influencing action is that the benefits
of treatment or intervention will outweigh the costs
(including social benefits and costs such as
inconvenience, discomfort, or embarrassment).

3-SOCIAL MARKETING
Goal: to reach people with a SOCIAL
message that will help them decide to
change their behavior.
Marketing Mix Strategy;
➢Product
➢Price
➢Place
➢Promotion
➢Publics
➢Partnership
➢Policy
➢Purse string

COMMUNITY- BASED SOCIAL MARKETING
‘’CBSM’’
Fostering sustainable behavior
change…..
Four steps in CBSM:
1. Identify the barriers and benefits to
an activity
2. Develop a communication strategy
that utilizes behavior change tools
3. Pilot the strategy
4. Evaluate

4-Social Learning Theory
To promote individual behavior change,
self-efficacy is a predictor of short & long
term achievement.
One strategy for enhancing self-efficacy is
recognized as ‘setting small, incremental
goals’’ such as exercising for 10 minutes
each day. SMALL STEPS STRATEGY

Barriers to behavior change:
Internal (lack of knowledge,
absence of motivation)
External (changes that need to
occur for the behavior to be
more convenient or affordable)

Healthy Lifestyle Habits

CHOICES AND CHANCES FOR A HEALTHY
LIFESTYLE
Chances :
Opportunities and limitations for choice vary
considerably
The social gradient
Social inclusion and exclusion
Choices:
Macro “choice points” over the life cycle
Micro “choice points” in daily interaction

Healthy Lifestyle Habits
CDC and Prevention recently found that
87% of Heart disease, 93% of Diabetes,
and 37% Cancers can be
PREVENTED and REVERSED with
Healthy Lifestyle Choices

“The doctor of the future will give
no medicine but will interest his
patients in the care of healthy
lifestyles.” By Thomas Edison

Approaches to Healthy Lifestyles
or
Lifestyle modifications

Keys of healthy lifestyle:
Participate in a lifetime physical activity
program
Eat three nutritious meals each day
Avoid meaningless snacking
Maintain healthy weight
Do not smoke cigarettes
Get enough sleep
Avoid alcohol consumption
Control stress
Healthy lifestyle habits

Healthy lifestyle habits
Prevention of drug abuse
Practicing safe sex
Surround yourself with healthy friendships
& relationships
Be informed about the environment
Increase HEALTH education
Take personal safety measures
POSITIVE attitudes in the community
Protect yourself from diseases by Seeking
early health care

I-Physical activity & Regular Exercise:

Regular Moderate Physical Activity
(at least 30 min/ day) Reduces the risks of:
Heart Disease by 40 to 50 %
Stroke by 30 to 50 %
Diabetes (Type II) by 30 to 40 %
Breast Cancer by 20 to 30 %
Colon Cancer by 30 to 50 %
Osteoporosis by 40 to 50 %
Premature Death by 30 to 50 %

By Walking 30 to 45 minutes 5 or more
days/week, you will delay the onset of
disability by 10 to 12 years!!
Physical Activity is POWERFUL MEDICINE!!

II-Healthy Eating & Nutrition
Nutrition: You Are What You Eat

10 Healthy tips for food habits
Watch portion sizes.
Slow down when eating.
Don't use food as a reward
Eat Breakfast.
Drink plenty of water
Structure family eating.
Food substitutes & use food exchange food list.
Fill up on vegetables.
Avoid stocking the fridge and pantry with
unhealthy choices.
Be prepared

❑Healthy school
meals

Suggestions for Healthy Food
Choices
Two thirds of the dinner plate should
be covered with fruits, vegetables,
whole grains and beans
Eat a variety of grains daily, especially
whole grains
Limit solid fats such as butter,
margarine

Suggestions for Healthy Food
Choices
Moderate your intake of sugar
Choose and prepare foods with less
salt

Drinking more than 1.5 liters Water Daily
Will help you Lose Weight
Burn (metabolize) Body Fat!!
Will Reduce Joint pain and Stiffness
Increases Your Energy
Speeds your bodies recovery and the healing process
after an injury OR a hard days work

III-Smoking cessation:
Smoking is a serious risk.
Think twice before starting.

IV-Maintain a Healthy Body Weight

Maintain a healthy weight through:
Healthy eating;
-take your breakfast.
-Cut out snacks and desserts.
-Eat less of everything.
-Cut down on fat.
-Don’t eat at night .
-Eat more fruit and vegetables.
-Count calories.
-Eat less red meat .
-Use low-calorie foods.
Exercise

V-Stress Management
1. Decrease or Discontinue Caffeine
2. Regular Exercise
3. Relaxation
4. Sleep
5. Time-outs and Leisure
6. Realistic Expectations
7. Reframing
8. Belief Systems
9. Ventilation/Support System
10. Humor

VI-Prevention of drug &
alcohol abuse

VII-Safe Sex & Healthy Lifestyles
Use a latex condom
To prevent STDs

Limit Your Risk
Do not share needles
Reduce or eliminate risky behaviors

VIII-Positive attitudes in the community;
1 It maintain the chemical balance of our body
& keep us healthy.
2We take better decisions for our problems.
3-It make a pleasant personality.
4-Life becomes enjoyable.
5-Motivate others.
6 Improve productivity.
7 It makes us important member in the
society.
8 Everybody likes us.

Get Enough Sleep
It is important for learning and
brain function
It is important for good health

Lifestyles and Human Health
Care
Lifestyle related chronic diseases pose a
major threat to human health care
Lifestyle changes are becoming the most
needed aspect of human health care. The
importance of a healthy lifestyle is being
stressed all over the world.
Researchers have enough evidence to
prove that healthy lifestyle improves the
health of entire communities.

Recommendations
From the present review we recommend
Adopting different healthy
lifestyles programs.

To establish health promotion practice as an
integral part of the population and to promote
the promotion of healthy lifestyles to improve
public health.
To encourage the population to adopt
healthier lifestyles by making changes in their
eating habits & adding physical activity to
their every day routines.
Aim:

Objectives:
To Increase the population awareness about lifestyle
diseases & provide information and individual solutions
that can help motivate changes in attitudes & behavior.
To Increase their awareness about healthy lifestyle.
To assess knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, & behavior
concerning a healthy lifestyle among adults (18-60ys
old).
To assess current barriers both perceived & actual
towards achieving a healthy lifestyle.
To evaluate the effectiveness of health education
program for the healthy life style & disease prevention.

Methodology
Study design: an interventional community
based educational study.
Study settings: community based programs
at different places including; schools,
universities, work places, clubs, religious
organizations, social places …..etc
Target group: adults, both sex, parents with
children less than 18 ys.

➢Study tools:
A-survey questionnaire
B-focus group discussion &
C-In-depth interviews with the study
groups.
D-Health education through;
group discussions, face to face health
education, lectures, distribution of the
message through brochures, posters,
mass media, web sites, & face book.

❑Strategy:
Encourage people to find a friend or family members to
exercise .
Healthy lifestyle should be encouraged & sponsored by the
government as a lot of people pay attention to the
governmental intervention programs ‘’health is an issue
just like violence is an issue’’.
The government would do;
1. -healthy food less expensive,
2. -face fast food restaurants to serve healthier food,
3. -Education of children in schools about nutrition,
4. -serve healthier food to children at schools,
5. -Give out free gym,
6. -prohibition of cigarette sales.

➢Messages:
Specific message targeting each group.
About benefits of healthy life styles
Hazards of unhealthy or faulty lifestyles
Examples of healthy life styles
How to choose a healthy lifestyle
Find a partner to exercise with
How to exercise while watching TV
How to cook a healthy meal that was simple to make & that tasted
good
Choose ⁄ make a healthy snack
How to quit smoking or drug abuse
How to practice safe sex
How to follow up & maintain a healthy behavior
How to maintain an ideal body weight
When to seek early medical advice or screening services …….etc

➢Resources:
Human resources: trained personnel about healthier
lifestyles & how to adopt it easily. (medical, paramedical,
mass media personnel, social workers, teachers at
schools, community participations and sometimes
political leaders, or from organizations ….etc)
Money or financial support: for data collection,
preparation for the intervention programs, motivators,
……
Materials: required for the implementation of these
healthier life styles.
Time: to be suitable for the target group.
Information: from different sources as researches,
textbooks, previous programs, internet, experts (national
& international levels)…….etc.

➢ Explaining motivators for healthy lifestyles:
potential motivators were varied as;
Health scare: they found themselves personally at risk,
Self-esteem, self-confidence, ability to achieve a goal.
Doing for oneself-physically: to feel better, be more
energetic, to look more attractive.
Doing it for one’s children,
Becoming angry with myself, seeing numbers on the
weighing scale that are shocking or heavy to buy bigger
clothing.
Doing something now so it will become a desperate
situation later in life.
Note that; there was a sense that the motivation had to
come from within.

➢ Determine the expected barriers or constraints:
The population may had many excuses for why they were unable to live a
healthy lifestyle as follows;
No enough time: family & personal obligations.
Being too tired or too lazy.
Too expensive to eat healthy food.
Too expensive to join a gym.
Don’t know to cook healthy meals.
Difficult to quit smoke.
It isn’t easy to avoid stress.
Too difficult to stay motivated.
Too hard to do it alone (without family or household support).
Lack of ability or capacity to self-monitor or maintain progress.
Lack of helpful information.
Lack of motivation. ((I don’t have the time. My wife and kids take up the
little free time I have)).
Take time to see results.

Evaluation of these healthier life styles
programs:
Outcome indicators should be assessed;
Impact of these healthier life styles on health;
reflected by the morbidity rates of lifestyle
diseases & mortality rates after long term
program.
Rate of food consumption, quantity & quality of
food items
Criteria of food balance sheet.
Early screening results.
Prevalence rates of smoking, drug abuse….

Sustainability & maintenance of
these lifestyle programs;
through its dissemination on
mass media, educational curriculum,
websites at the internet, face book
for local and national media.
❑Repeated messages over long
period of time with updated
approaches to keep the target
groups engaged & motivated.

Finally; "Adopting a healthy lifestyle
does not mean that you have to stop
enjoying life"

I wish
Good Health to You!
Thank you