Some Considerations in Promoting Healthy Lifestyles

Abstract

This paper argues that the effectiveness of the approach used by the Seventh-day Adventist church to propagate its health message has been compromised by its failure to take full account of social determinants of health, and its apparent inability to recognize the role played by community both in lifestyle change decisions and in decisions related to food choices. A brief background provides an overview of the emergence of awareness of the role played by social factors as a determinant of health, and of the role that the World Health Organization has played in this process. The paper then discusses the important role played by social determinants of health and the place of the community in lifestyle choices. Finally, the paper highlights the bases of the Adventist health message and the suggests some considerations for adapting its approach in order to enhance its effectiveness in promoting behavior change that will lead to healthier lifestyles.