New Perspectives in Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle

Abstract

The dramatic increase in so-called chronic or “lifestylerelated” diseases in most countries today has become one of the greatest threats to our health. These major lifestyle-related diseases share common risk factors such as smoking, lack of exercise, obesity and unhealthy dietary practices, which can be modified using community-based approaches that will have a long-term impact and will be more cost-effective than diagnosis and treatment. This paper looks at one specific population, the youth, which are the most significant focus for promoting healthy lifestyle, since positive or negative behaviors are initiated childhood and early adolescence. Young people also make the earliest possible target for the prevention of leading lifestyle-related diseases. This article examines the role of schools, which significantly can provide an ideal and effective venue as “new frontiers” for information and education about healthy lifestyle for children and young people, with the potential to influence their health throughout their lives for generations to come.