Lifestyle19

A healthy or unhealthy lifestyle will most likely be

transmitted across generations. According to the study

done by Case et al. (2002), when a 0-3 year old child

has a mother who practices a healthy lifestyle, this

child will be 27% more likely to become healthy and

adopt the same lifestyle.[10] For instance, high income

parents are more likely to eat organic food, have time

to exercise, and provide the best living condition to

their children. On the other hand, low income parents

are more likely to participate in unhealthy activities

such as smoking to help them release poverty-related

stress and depression.[11] Parents are the first teacher

for every child. Everything that parents do will be very

likely transferred to their children through the

learning process.

Adults may be drawn together by mutual interest that

results in a lifestyle. For example, William Dufty

described how pursuing a sugar-free diet led to such

associations:

I have come to know hundreds of young people who have

found that illness or bingeing on drugs and sugar became

the doorway to health. Once they reestablished their own

health, we had in common our interest in food. If one

can use that overworked word lifestyle, we shared a

sugarfree lifestyle. I kept in touch with many of them

in campuses and communes, through their travels here and

abroad and everywhere. One day you meet them in Boston.

The next week you run into them in Southern California.