Dimensions of Wellness Case Study
Many individuals spend a lifetime trying to achieve optimal health and wellness. Wellness is a process rather than a goal. It implies a choice, a way of life. Lifestyle diseases represent the major threat and quality of life of Americans (Anspaugh, Hamrick, & Rosato, 2011). Read the following case study and answer the following questions.
Carmen is a 37-year-old single mother of three children. She has a good job, has strong spiritual values and beliefs, and has three close friends who she gets together with on a regular basis. However, Carmen eats fast food 5 days a week, feels stressed out most of the time, and does not have time to exercise. She cares about the environment but does not take the time to recycle. She would love to go back to school to get her Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree but does not think she has the time.
Review the seven dimensions of wellness listed in the text and discuss the following in your post:
- Which of the dimensions of wellness is Carmen strengthening through her current lifestyle and behaviors?
- Which of the dimensions of wellness does she need to improve? Explain your answers.
- Define three leading causes of death in America and examine how lifestyle habits can increase or decrease a person’s risk of disease.
- Identify three healthy lifestyle recommendations and examine how these lifestyle factors could help Carmen reduce her risk of disease and help her achieve overall wellness.
- Finally, is there a lifestyle factor that does not affect a person’s health and wellness? Try to identify at least one.
Include at least two scholarly references, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center to help support your response. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7.
Guided Response: Read your classmates’ posts. Do you agree with the lifestyle factor that does not affect a person’s health and wellness your classmate chose? Why or why not? Do you think your classmate adequately addressed Carmen’s dimensions of wellness? Are there any other lifestyle recommendations that could be given to Carmen to help her achieve overall wellness? Use at least one outside reference in your reply.
Please note: Some researchers define seven dimensions of wellness, while others define six. For example, the course textbook defines seven, but the National Wellness Institute only defines six. Both are considered correct because, at the time the six dimensions were identified, environmental aspects were not widely addressed.
