Example Of How Values And Lifestyles Affect Health Essay

Sociology is the study of human society. It is a social science which uses several empirical methods of investigation and a serious analysis in order to develop a body of facts about human, social activities. The way people live, their habits and behaviors affect the physical and mental health. It is unfortunate that most people examine their lifestyles only when they get ill. Getting injured or falling ill can disrupt life by restricting one’s daily activities and affecting their work, leisure and relationships. Other lifestyle factors add to an already stressful situation by hindering personal health recovery and, worse still, increases the symptoms. There are various lifestyle factors that affect health, they include; tension and stress, negative thinking and worrying, exercise, sleep, diet and social support. Real happiness and comfort is experienced when we have stable health. People, therefore, should strive to reduce or improve on the factors that lead to the deterioration of health. Although the modern man has come up with advanced medical equipments, sophisticated machines and strong medicines poor health is still being experienced.
In our quest to achieve more pleasure and happiness, wrong lifestyles are adopted, and this leads to an increase in stress and risk factors, in our lives. Health and lack of health are much associated with natural or biological conditions. Sociologists have proven that the spread of diseases is highly influenced by the socioeconomic status of persons, their ethnic beliefs and traditions and other cultural factors. A sociology perspective on health provides insight on the external factors that lead to both poor and stable health. The influence of societal factors varies through out the world and, therefore, health of individuals is sociologically examined and compared according to a region’s traditional medicines, religion, cultures and economy.
Value is the enduring ideas and beliefs that are shared by members of the same culture on what is admirable and desirable and what is not. The acceptance and delivery of health education and promotion programs is influenced by religious, personal, cultural, environmental, political and economic factors. All these create and affected by societal and individual values. Values are an integral part in a person’ life, even though people do not often determine how their values affect their lives. Values are instrumental on how one health turns out since they affect every decision that one makes on his or her health. It also affects the decision one makes on the relationships to be involved in, work and what one chooses to do on a daily basis.
If one does not pay attention to his health, you end up in poor health, and this is what most people fear in life. Values therefore, affect the motivation, behavior and thoughts of individuals especially concerning health and other health related issues in order for someone o maintain a strong health, he or she should always ensure that have values that will lead to good, cheerful modes of behavior. These include honesty, independence, obedience and cheerfulness which always ensure that one is not stressed. In this case, sociology is related to the values and health in that it assumes that for a society to function smoothly, it has to depend on healthy people who are in complete control of their values. Although many people believe that science determines ill health, sociology points out that the values of individuals determine their health as well. For instance, many cultures define illnesses as legitimate if a clear laboratory or scientific diagnosis is given.