Peer Responses: Review several of your classmates’ posts. Provide a substantive response to at least three of your peers in a minimum of 300 words (each reply), by Day 7 (Monday).

• Provide alternative advice to your peer for managing his/her health.
• Identify concepts from previous chapters that might be relevant for changing your peer’s unhealthy behavior or mental processes.
• Jennifer: 

One social variable that influences my personal health is support from my husband and the choices I make on a daily basis. I am a generally healthy person and the only thing I struggle with is my diet, I tend to be either “hot or cold” with eating healthy. I’ll go several weeks of eating very “clean” and then “fall off the wagon” for days, weeks, or even months before going back to eating clean again. My husband supports me and is very respectful about it, however, he does not eat healthy himself because he is not overweight and does not feel like he “needs” to for his health. This makes it very difficult for me because I always feel like I’m on a health journey alone and it becomes discouraging. My everyday choices of food are impacted by what he is choosing to eat and it becomes very difficult to always modify my meals to a healthier version of what he is eating. He honestly means no harm by it, but I voice often that it makes me feel alone in my health journey and he’s very understanding and promises to change his eating habits. This happens temporarily but he always reverts back to how he has always eaten, which I know negatively impacts his health. 

Situational factors that play a role in health are physical ability, finances, the ability to afford healthy foods. I feel that too often we blame our circumstances for poor health decisions when the choice is always in our hands. We see “overcomer” victory stories all of the time on social media where the physically disabled are overcoming their odds and physically fit in one way or another. Also with finances, walking outside is free even if that means taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or parking further in the parking lot to get in extra steps. Being on a health journey is purely choices made in any circumstances we may be in. 

Social and cultural variables include cultural food and having friends and family who support your health goals. Too often we feel alone in our health journey when our family and friends are living an opposite (unhealthy) lifestyle as us. I feel that culturally, the health belief model (Feenstra, 2013) will be perceived differently depending on your culture. If nearly everyone in your family has type 2 diabetes and they’re “fine”, you will likely not be alarmed with your doctor tells you you’re at risk for type 2 diabetes yourself. This will likely not result in you changing your eating habits because everyone in your family is living their lives with the disease. On the contrary, somebody can take their family’s history and use it as motivation to not become the next to suffer from it. It all comes down to perspective in how you perceive the disease caused by your eating habits. I believe culture has a lot to do with our eating habits and how we view certain illnesses.

Feenstra, J. (2013). Social psychology. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/

Starette:

I’m more aware of my health and what I need to do to stay healthy. A soldier’s physical appearance is very important to the organization. We have a standard to uphold. At least every 6 months we have to jump on the scale and take a physical fitness test. If a soldier fails, they have 90 days to pass otherwise they’ll get kicked out the Army.  I’m not the healthiest eater but I do watch what I eat and how much of it. I don’t work out because I’m not that motivated. I’ve been in the Army approximately 6 years and never failed anything.

Growing up in a culture where we ate pork greasy food and not ever having to watch what we ate was a challenge. My mom cooks hot meals every day and I ate a lot of junk food. I never considered myself being big, but my siblings would tell me that I was. As I got older in high school I had my own car which gave me the privilege of eating out. I would eat out and still come home to a hot meal. Th life changing event for me was the time I had to join the Army and they told me I was a little chubby. They asked about my diet and I said I always eat out I eat whatever I want. They advised me to cut out the fast food. I started working out with them running 6 miles and I cut out fast food. I lost probably 10 pounds I wasn’t that out of shape. My fat turned into muscles and I received compliments  from other people that was trying to join the army. 

I don’t like workwould have to say that being a Soldier in the U.S Army has a huge impact on my health. Now that I’m in the armyI have a better outlook on like. I know working out is a way of good health. I do plan on incorporating exercise in my day to day routine. The way a soldier looks has a lot to say about them. I look like I’m in shape but I’m not. I can pass a physical fitness test but I’m not in shape according to the U.S Army. Individuals differ in terms of what they believe to be the possible benefits of changing a behavior to reduce risk, the possible barriers to that behavior, the particular cues they have from the environment or from their own bodies, and their confidence in their ability to pursue a behavior (Rosenstock,1966; Rosenstock, Strecher, & Becker, 1988). I have family that suffered from obesity and diabetes I know I have to watch what I eat and break the norm, so my babies don’t have to suffer like my family.

I hope everyone was able to watch my video life is all about decisions.

Feenstra, J. (2013). Social psychology. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/