Health and healthy lifestyles depend on interconnecting human behavior that sets standards and norms related to social structure and cultural features. As a part of society, humans always try to accomplish common goals and specific requirements of their surroundings regardless of age, gender, and social status. The social influence could be beneficial as well as detrimental to an individual’s health and lifestyle. Positive sides of social impact on a healthy lifestyle include moral support, approved methods, and financial support. While negative sides such as social pressure, dependence on social status, and unreliable methods are also present.
The community provides several advantages related to health and lifestyle. Firstly, the community offers support and encouragement, leading to a healthy lifestyle. For example, Mollborn and Lawrence (2018) found that friends and family encouragement not only maintain healthy daily routines but also increases involvement among children. Secondly, family and friends could give decent advice on proper lifestyle and how to obtain good results. Mollborn and Lawrence (2018) stated that children under parents’ control in childhood are most likely to lead a healthy lifestyle in the future. Lastly, financial support from parents could motivate children to participate in healthy hobbies and lead a healthier lifestyle.
Despite many positive sides of social impact on health and lifestyle, many drawbacks appear as well. Mollborn and Lawrence (2018) stated that most methods and strategies supported by the family are based on personal vision, not scientific observations. The views could be entirely subjective and not applicable in some cases. Additionally, health and lifestyle are highly influenced by the social status and financial conditions of a community. For example, Mollborn and Lawrence (2018) assert that parents with higher socioeconomic status instill healthier habits in their children. Lastly, sometimes community support could turn into social pressure to lead a certain kind of lifestyle. These cases could be related to the culture and customs of a community.
To conclude, it is admitted that society, including family and friends, highly influences health and lifestyle. This impact has both positive and negative sides to an individual’s behavior. Social and financial support and methodology benefit individuals’ health, but social pressure, uncertain methods, and social status could negatively affect it.