What is a healthy lifestyle?

1 healthy LivingWhat is a healthy lifestyle ?World Health OrganizationRegional Office for EuropeCopenhagenNutrition Policy, Infant Feeding and Food Security2 EUR/ICP/LVNG 01 07 02 ORIGINAL: ROMANIANE66134 UNEDITEDEUROPEAN HEALTH21 TARGET 11 HEALTHIER LIVINGBy the year 2015, people across society should have adopted healthierpatterns of living(Adopted by the WHO Regional Committee for Europe at its forty-eighth session,Copenhagen, September 1998)AbstractA healthy lifestyle is a way of living that lowers the risk of beingseriously ill or dying early. Not all diseases are preventable, but a largeproportion of deaths, particularly those from coronary heart diseaseand lung cancer, can be avoided.

2 Scientific studies have identifiedcertain types of behaviour that contribute to the development ofnoncommunicable diseases and early death. Health is not just aboutavoiding disease. It is also about physical, mental and social a healthy lifestyle is adopted, a more positive role model isprovided for other people in the family, particularly children. Thisbooklet aims to help readers change their behaviour and improve theirhealth in order to live healthier, longer STYLEHEALTH BEHAVIORCHRONIC DISEASE prevention and controlNUTRITION World Health Organization 1999 All rights in this document are reserved by the WHO Regional Office for Europe. The document maynevertheless be freely reviewed, abstracted, reproduced or translated into any other language (butnot for sale or for use in conjunction with commercial purposes) provided that full acknowledgement isgiven to the source.

3 For the use of the WHO emblem, permission must be sought from the WHOR egional Office. Any translation should include the words: The translator of this document isresponsible for the accuracy of the translation. The Regional Office would appreciate receiving threecopies of any translation. Any views expressed by named authors are solely the responsibility ofthose document was text processed in Health Documentation ServicesWHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen1 healthy LIVING1. what is a healthy lifestyle ?A way of living that LOWERS THE RISK of being seriously ill ordying early. Not all illness and disease is preventable; however alarge proportion of deaths, particularly those from coronary heartdisease and lung cancer, can be avoided.

4 Scientific studies haveidentified certain types of behaviour that contribute to serious illnessand early death. This booklet aims at helping you to change yourbehaviour and IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH so that you and yourfamily live healthier, longer what is a healthy lifestyle ?A way of living that HELPS YOU ENJOY more aspects of your is not just about avoiding a disease or illness. It is aboutphysical, mental and social well-being too. This booklet aims athelping you decide to make healthier choices in your lifestyle whichwill give you more opportunity to ENJOY MORE ASPECTS OFYOUR life FOR what is a healthy lifestyle ?A way of living that HELPS YOUR WHOLE FAMILY.

5 When youadopt a healthy lifestyle you provide a more positive role model forother people in your family, particularly children. You will alsocreate a better environment for them to grow up in. By helping themto follow a healthier lifestyle you will be contributing to theirwellbeing and enjoyment of life now and in the is the greatest single self-imposed risk to health of TO YOU: Respiratory illness, coronary heart disease,cancerRISKS TO YOUR FAMILY: Respiratory illness, chest, nose, earand throat infections. Your family s risks are increased two to threetimes if you who are exposed to tobacco smoke at home are at increasedrisk of sudden infant death. Young children who have one or moreparents who smoke are twice as likely to suffer with chest problemsin their first year of life .

6 They will have more chest, nose, ear andthroat infections than children whose parents do not smoke. They arealso more likely to take up smoking themselves later in YOU ARE PREGNANT you can damage your baby s chances ofbeing healthy by smoking even before the baby is : Tobacco-related diseases not only lead to many prematuredeaths but also to years of disease and disability. One half of allpeople who regularly smoke will be killed by cigarettes, half inmiddle age and half in their senior years. If you stop smoking beforemiddle age you will avoid almost all the increased risk that wouldhave otherwise occurred. Even stopping smoking in middle age canlower your you don t use Tobacco DON T START.

7 If you do use Tobaccoyou can lower your risk by stopping NOW. The health benefits willstart ACTION PLAN Step 1. Monitor your current PATTERN of Tobacco use WHEN do you use Tobacco and WHY? I smoke first thing in the morning: it s part of waking up I use tobacco to help me relax when I get stressed at work I use tobacco when I get angry in the evening I smoke to be sociable all my friends smoke Step 2. Decide to give up Tobacco NOW whatever your age itwill lower your risk. Is it cool to be addicted? NO. Choose theday when you are going to stop. If possible choose a day whenyou won t be under much stress. Make sure you put away anytobacco, ashtrays, matches or lighters.

8 AND STOP. I just did it; I stopped . Step 3. Take notice of special times when you might WANT tosmoke and be extra determined. Select ALTERNATIVE thingsto do when you are tempted to use tobacco. I chew gum instead: it helps me concentrate too I go for a brisk walk when I feel tempted . Step 4. Practise ways of saying NO to help you. I ve just given up smoking: please don t tempt me No thanks. I don t use tobacco any more . Step 5. Ask your friends to give you SUPPORT. In order tocontinue being a nonsmoker you need praise from your friendsand family that you kicked the habit, that you smell and lookbetter IS AN ADDICTIVE DRUGWhen you stop using Tobacco you may havesome WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS such asincreased appetite.

9 This will eventually returnto normal. Other symptoms might be4disturbed sleep for a while. Some people feel depressed or irritated;others experience will need EXTRA SUPPORT from friends and family duringthis time. In some countries nicotine replacement therapies such asnicotine chewing gum or nicotine patches may be available; thesecan lessen the withdrawal you RELAPSE, remember you are human! Learn from yourmistakes and TRY AGAIN. It may be some months before you canbe confident that you will never want another cigarette. The chancesare YOU WILL BE you will achieve:You will be LESS at risk from major will have MORE MONEY to spend on better food and will FEEL MORE healthy , andYou will influence your Family s healthy LIFESTYLEHere s what some people said after they d quit using Tobacco: I thought, shall I smoke or shall I be healthy ?

10 I smelt of spring! I was really nervous .. I smoked to manage stress. I thought, Ican show them they don t stress me! I made sure there was no Tobacco at all in the house so Iwouldn t be tempted 5 PHYSICAL ACTIVITYW hatever your age Physical Activity plays an important part inyour health and wellbeing. Some people think it is onlysportsmen and women who need to build Physical Activityinto their lives. However EVERYONE needs to keep theirbodies working well in order to be three main components of being physically fit are:STAMINA, STRENGTH and Activity is necessary to stimulate the body s ownnatural maintenance and repair system. Your bones, joints andmuscles especially your heart will actually stay younger ifyou keep them busy.