Chapter 6: The Distinctive Roles of Perceptions of Health Risks and Benefits, Self-Efficacy, and Motivation in the Awareness, Initiation, and Maintenance of Healthy Behaviors

In the past few decades, good health has been increasingly recognized as an important goal that should be actively pursued by people through the adoption of a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle refers to the practice of several health behaviors including: a balanced diet, regular exercise, good sleeping habits, and engagement in preventive health behaviors (i.e., self-examination and regular checkups). It also involves avoidance of unhealthy behaviors such as excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, and drug use. People are constantly reminded with commercials, billboards, posters, tweets, and other forms of advertisements to engage in healthy behaviors, while also refraining from engaging in unhealthy ones. Today, we have many tools and strategies available for improving our understanding of the role that health behaviors can play in our lives. For example, technology has produced tracking devices that enable users to count steps, calories burnt, and kilometers covered daily, while also sharing this information with others. These different sources of information emphasize the impact that adopting a new diet or exercise program could have on your health or your appearance, and provide strategies to fit in or to connect with other people.