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The Psychology of Lifestyle

Promoting Healthy Behaviour

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Improving lifestyles is thought to be one of the most effective means of reducing mortality and morbidity in the developed world. However, despite decades of health promotion, there has been no significant difference to lifestyles and instead there are rising levels of inactivity and obesity.

The Psychology of Lifestyle addresses the role psychology can play in reversing the trend of deleterious lifestyle choices. It considers the common characteristics of lifestyle behaviours and reflects on how we can inform and improve interventions to promote healthy lifestyles. Health promotion has taught people what a healthy lifestyle is – now we need to enable people to live that life. The chapters cover key lifestyle behaviours that impact on health –smoking, eating, physical activity, drinking, sex and drug use – as well as combinations of behaviours. Each chapter contains interventions that have been developed to influence and promote lifestyle change among patients and clients.

This unique book will enable readers to develop a clear theoretical and practical grasp of the psychological principles involved in all aspects of lifestyle change. It is an invaluable resource for students and professionals committed to health promotion within all health-related disciplines.

Table of Contents

Preface 1. Conceptualising Lifestyle Psychology 2. Theories of change 3. Smoking 4. Eating 5. Physical activity 6. Drinking 7. Sex 8. Illicit drug use 9. Evaluating Lifestyle Psychology 10. Strategies for the 21st century

Reviews

‘This book is to be welcomed by health psychology students and scholars. It covers theories of change – and critically extends them; considers major health issues in modern Britain and offers a range of psychosocial intervention strategies. It will be useful to anyone interested in lifestyle change, health psychology and health promotion.’ – Leo B. Hendry, University of Glamorgan and Fellow of the British Psychological Society

'It is becoming universally recognised that lifestyle affects health enormously and this is a timely volume that beautifully reviews and illustrates psychology's contribution to understanding lifestyles and health behaviour, as well as potential interventions.' – Antony J Chapman, former President and Honorary Fellow of the British Psychological Society

Author/Editor Biography

Kathryn Thirlaway is Principal Lecturer and Head of Psychology at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff. She is a Chartered Health Psychologist and currently leading a new 'Lifestyle Psychology' programme for health professionals at the university.

Dominic Upton is Head of Psychology and Health Sciences at the University of Worcester. He is also a Chartered Health Psychologist.

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