The Lifestyle Chronicles - A Belated Introduction

The Lifestyle Chronicles are a series of presentations dedicated to the belief that the greatest influence upon health status is lifestyle. Lifestyle consists of everything that is done throughout each day; the habits, behavior and biological responses (physical and mental). Lifetsyle is influenced and learned from pregnancy through old age. It is never too late to change lifestyle but the most leverage for development and change comes earlier in life.

There are defined periods in the life of every individual that have differential influence upon development of lifestyle. These periods extend from the health status of the mother prior to pregnancy through pregnancy, infancy, childhood, aldolescence, young adults, middle age, senior citizens and the elderly.

These phases of the lifecycle and the components of human capital as described by David Brooks are evaluated in relation to each in order to assess the development of lifestyle. Taken together these are powerful determinants of lifestyle and health status.

Some of these thoughts have been introduced in previous posts. Implied but not stated as such is the great difficulty changing bad habits and unhealthy behavior later in life. Not only difficult, but also expensive. The health care system is built upon society's lack of attention, inabilities and failures to effectively address lifestyle.

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