People are making deliberate decisions to lead fulfilling and healthy lives. Nowadays, individuals are more conscious about their health and want to live a healthier lifestyle. Most people wish to consume beneficial food and carefully engage in regular physical activities. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly fifty percent of the U.S population met the physical activity guideline before the pandemic (Watson et al. 2).
Moderate exercise engagement has essential benefits for the body. However, disparities existed in physical activity participation. It is recommended that people of all ages should at least engage in moderate activity for thirty minutes. A significant percentage of the population does not engage in physical exercise. Recent studies indicate a gradual rise in people watching their food and exercising. Although the increase is gradual, the change is encouraging. While the lifestyle change is slow, people nowadays are eating better and exercising more due to the need to control chronic illnesses, maintain physical fitness, reduce medical costs, and lower stress.
Firstly, exercising and eating healthy helps control health problems associated with a sedentary lifestyle, such as obesity, stroke, and hypertension. These chronic conditions have become prevalent due to the changing lifestyle brought about by technological advancement (Schulze 2)). Most people do not engage in physically demanding tasks because of the increased automation. As a result, most of the population spends much of their time relaxed. Even though the idea seems calming and eases the moments, it severely impacts health. The most common result of unhealthy food and irregular physical activity is weight gain due to increased calories.
Poor diets such as junk food have high-calorie levels that can only be reduced through exercise. Physical activity allows individuals to increase total energy expenditure, leading to weight loss or energy balance. Still, it requires a person to be disciplined, as it becomes useless if one overeats to compensate for the burnt calories (Schulze 3). At the same time, working out burns excess fat that usually contributes to excess weight and obesity. Thus, a combination of proper diets and physical activity enables one to stay healthy by preventing chronic conditions, including obesity.
Obesity and overweight levels remain at a worrying high globally. According to Schulze (2018), approximately a third of the global population is obese or overweight (4). Worse still, the numbers are projected to rise higher in the next ten years. The identified leading cause is the imbalance between energy expenditure and energy intake. Most people worldwide consume food with high levels of saturated fat, added sugar, and sodium.
These unfit foods have addictive elements that make people find them hard to avoid. Hence, unhealthy food becomes a regular part of daily meals. Additionally, people do not eat fruits, whole meals, and plant-based oils on regular bases. Working longer hours also contributes to poor health (Schulze 7). Most people, especially in developed countries, have busy schedules, with others taking up to three jobs. Such a phenomenon leaves a person without enough time to exercise or plan for a proper and healthy diet. As a consequence, chronic disorders become common. Therefore, the challenges from health issues compel people to seek ways of maintaining healthy lifestyles, with healthy eating and physical exercise becoming the most desired.
Secondly, eating better food and exercising regularly helps an individual remain physically active and improve how one feels. As a person ages, body organs’ functionality reduces (Towne et al. 5). Bones become frail, sight weakens, and metabolism impairs, leading to reduced activity. When one becomes inactive, life functions, including job productivity, suffer. That leads to more problems in a person’s life. Given that the current world rewards output heavily, lowered productivity equals decreased income resulting in degraded living standards. With this understanding, most people want to continue being productive even as age becomes an issue.
The only way to keep in shape as one grows older is by watching the food consumed and working out. A person becomes more confident and active, which increases the ability to continue being productive at work and home. As an individual becomes more physically active and healthy, self-esteem and confidence increase, leading to improved moods and sleep (Schultchen et al. 322). Hence, people understand the benefits of healthy eating and regular exercise, contributing to a change in perception regarding physical activity and proper diets.
Thirdly, people nowadays are more aware of their health and live healthier lifestyles by eating better and exercising more. Individuals know that healthy living contributes to better well-being and reduces medical costs. A recent study has shown that people who live a healthy lifestyle have less financial burden regarding healthcare expenses (Towne et al. 11). This is because such persons are less likely to be hospitalized and need costly treatments.
One of the biggest challenges facing healthcare in America is high cost. Many people struggle with paying for healthcare. A significant percentage even have accruing medical cost debts. Thus, finding an alternative to reduce the burden is the focus for most Americans. Eating better food and engaging in regular exercise offer a much-needed option. Adopting such lifestyles reduces the chances of one being hospitalized, and in case one falls sick, the treatment is less costly since the condition hardly gets to a severe stage. Even the older generation benefits immensely from observing healthy living as it improves their well-being, reduces falls, and improves immunity (Towne et al. 2). Therefore, working out and consuming proper diets helps people reduce medical costs.
Lastly, healthy eating and physical exercise actively prevent or lower stress. Since the modern world is, without a doubt, stressful, most people are struggling with stress issues. Studies show that stress is a significant health concern among different populations, especially workers and students (Schultchen et al. 317). The challenge is associated with health-related issues such as endocrine, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal diseases. Stress sometimes leads to mental disorders, including anxiety and depression. These conditions affect people’s quality of life. However, the challenge is that stress and physical activity influence one another (Schultchen et al. 318).
When an individual feels stressed, he or she tends to avoid demanding and exhausting activities. On the contrary, when a person is less stressed, one tends to engage in activities that require high energy expenditure. Even with the understanding that exercise reduces stress, the majority of people prefer harmful behaviors such as smoking, drinking alcohol, and substance abuse. Nonetheless, the growing awareness among people regarding the importance of healthy living compels individuals to consider working out and watching their diets. Therefore, eating better and exercising more is increasingly becoming a choice for people dealing with stressful situations.
However, some believe healthy living requires more than eating healthy and exercising. Among the factors opponents of exercise and healthy eating mention include eating supplements, drinking more water, getting enough sleep, and avoiding alcohol. While the argument is convincing, it downplays the importance of healthy food and physical exercise on a person’s well-being. While food supplements can provide nutrition for people in dire need, their benefits cannot match natural food. Besides, nutritionists mostly prescribe the use of supplements when a person has a deficiency of minerals and vitamins.
Therefore, supplements such as calcium and vitamin D work well but still cannot outweigh natural sources of these elements. Knowledgeable persons know that eating healthy food and engaging in physical activities limit the desire for addictive substances, the need for supplements, and improve sleep. That means regular exercise and eating proper food solve most health issues (Towne et al. 3). Thus, people are trying to lead healthy lifestyles by eating better food and exercising more, as it has numerous health benefits.
Overall, staying healthy has been the focus for most people recently. People are trying to lead a healthy lifestyle by eating better and exercising more to maintain physical and mental health. Healthy living also controls chronic illnesses, maintains physical fitness, reduces medical costs, and lowers stress. Chronic illnesses nowadays affect people of all ages and not only seniors. That is why healthcare costs are becoming a major challenge to most families. However, the educated and those with higher incomes know the significance of healthy living. Typically, socioeconomic factors such as higher literacy levels and income play a significant role in people’s decisions. Therefore, choosing a healthy lifestyle is becoming crucial, with many focusing on better food and more exercise.
Works Cited
Watson, Kathleen B., et al. “Cross-sectional Study of Changes in Physical Activity Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among U.S. Adults.” International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, vol. 18, no. 1, 2021, 1-10. Web.
Schultchen, Dana, et al. “Bidirectional Relationship of Stress and Affect with Physical Activity and Healthy Eating.” British Journal of Health Psychology, vol. 24, no.2, 2019, pp. 315-333. Web.
Towne Jr, Samuel D., et al. “Physical Activity and Associated Medical Cost Savings Among at-risk Older Adults Participating in a Community-Based Health & Wellness Program.” PLoS One vol. 13, no. 6, 2018, pp. 2-14. Web.
Schulze, Matthias B., et al. “Food Based Dietary Patterns and Chronic Disease Prevention.” Bmj, vol. 361, 2018, pp. 1-6. Web.