Lifestyle Choices that Affect Health in The Long Term

According to John Koshuta, physical is important for the overall well-being of individuals, and is the one that is most identifiable in health, it includes the social, intellectual, emotional, spiritual and environmental health. However the serious signs become obvious when we appear to be unhealthy. He also highlights the importance that addressing this dimension in health in order for anyone to sustain overall health and wellness.

There are many factors that affect physical health such as lifestyle which would include, exercise, diet, and other lifestyle factors such as drinking, smoking and drugs.

Exercise can be defined as a physical activity, which can keep an individual physically fit as well as improving the mental wellbeing of any individual. There has been research put out that shows that doing exercise can influence the release of ‘feel-good chemicals’ in our bodies, this is chemical is hormone called endorphins which is in the brain. Even by doing short bursts of exercise can increase our mental alertness.

However for individuals who have dementia and are often placed in care homes their physical needs are often not being met due to the lack of time and staff in these settings, for instance it is residents in these homes can experience jerky movements, this may include unexpected movements in the arms and legs.

Having a good diet is an influencing factor on how we feel, a healthy balanced diet would consist of a healthy amount of, carbohydrates, vitamins, proteins, fibres, minerals, fats, and water. By eating healthily it can impact the management, development and also the prevention of mental health conditions.

On the other hand service users that have dementia may not be getting the nutrients needed to keep them in a healthy state, as it is not uncommon for dementia patients to forget how to swallow their foods, because of this they are of risk of dehydration. If individuals with dementia are placed in a care home due to the lack of activities and sitting in the same place for the whole day they may not build up an appetite, which may be a contributing factor to why they may not eat. In addition to according to the Alzheimer’s society tiredness may be a contributing factor to eating difficulties, and since individuals with dementia experience confusion, they may have problems concentrating and co-ordination.

The lifestyle choices of individuals can influence the health status of the individual later in their lives, for example if an individual was to smoke from an early age, they would be more prone to cardiovascular diseases later in their lives, such as lung cancer. According to AGE UK, smoking increases the plasma levels of amino acids that is called homocysteine smoking can cause direct damage to the brain cells due to a process called oxidative stress, and that if the individual was to stop smoking then they could reduce the risks of developing.