Positive Outlook Boosts Likelihood of Healthier Lifestyle
Better diet, fitness reported among those who feel in control of their destiny.
Personality and attitude seem to matter when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle, with a brighter outlook on life leading to healthier choices.
In addition, those who believe they are in control of their destiny are more likely to eat a healthier diet, exercise more, and smoke and drink less. The opposite is true for people who believe their destiny is in the hands of fate or that life is about luck, the investigators found.
The research shows a direct link between the type of personality a person has and a healthy lifestyle and help shape public health policies on certain conditions.
The main policy response to the obesity epidemic has been the provision of better information, but information alone is insufficient to change people's eating habits. Understanding the psychological underpinning of a person's eating patterns and exercise habits is central to understanding obesity.
Men and women also appear to have different views on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Although men seek physical results, women are focused on the daily pleasure they get from living a healthy lifestyle, the results indicated.
What works well for women may not work well for men. Gender-specific policy initiatives which respond to these objectives may be particularly helpful in promoting healthy lifestyles.
Source: HealthDay News
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