Lifestyles
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A healthy lifestyle is a way of living that lowers the risk of serious ill health or dying prematurely. Overwhelmingly, the evidence is that adopting a healthy lifestyle has a range of health benefits and even relatively minor lifestyle changes can have a significant impact, these include being more active, eating healthy, and avoiding recreational drugs, tobacco and harmful use of alcohol.
Alcohol, smoking and drugs
Alcohol, smoking and recreational drug use can all cause severe personal harm, including poor physical and mental health, addiction and early death, and have massive societal costs. As well as the negative impact on health and wellbeing, alcohol and drug misuse is linked to higher levels of violent (and in the case of drug misuse, organised) crime, family breakdown, unemployment, exploitation, homelessness, and social isolation. Vulnerable people and communities are at the greatest risk.
Healthy weight and healthy eating
A healthy diet involves a balanced intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats, to fuel the body, prevent illness, boost immunity, and support mental well-being. It is essential to maintaining a healthy weight and reducing the risk of chronic and serious diseases like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. Keeping a healthy weight improves energy, mood, and mobility, while unhealthy and ultra-processed food increases the risk of obesity and associated health problems, placing an increased burden on the NHS and the economy through higher healthcare costs and reduced productivity.
Physical activity
Regular physical activity is known to improve health and wellbeing at all ages and across a range of indicators. The Department of Heath recommends that over a week adults should undertake a total of at least 150 minutes of at least moderate physical activity. However, societal changes over recent decades have meant many people do not achieve this, with a detrimental impact on their physical and mental wellbeing.
Sexual and reproductive health
Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is crucial for overall wellbeing, enabling healthy relationships, planned pregnancies, and disease prevention, impacting individuals and communities by reducing unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and cancers, while improving life quality, education, and economic productivity; it involves accessible contraception, testing, education, and maternal care.