Who is responsible for the way we live?

People have different opinions about who is responsible for a person’s lifestyle and well-being. Some believe that individuals should make their own healthy choices and take control of their habits. Others argue that family, society, money, and social media strongly influence people’s decisions. The article explores different perspectives on responsibility, well-being, and the factors that shape human behavior and identity.

1. The Case for Personal Responsibility

Many health professionals and philosophers argue that personal responsibility lies at the heart of a well-lived life. From this perspective, every individual possesses the agency — the capacity to choose and act — and it is through the exercise of this agency that identity is formed. Choosing to exercise, to eat nutritiously, to sleep well, and to manage stress are not simply habits; they are expressions of who we are and what we value. Psychologists refer to this as having an “internal locus of control” — a belief that one’s own actions, rather than external forces, determine outcomes.

Research often supports the benefits of taking personal ownership. A landmark study published in the Journal of Health Psychology found that individuals who scored highly on self-efficacy measures — that is, those who believed in their ability to make positive changes — were significantly more likely to maintain healthy behaviors over time, regardless of their socioeconomic background.

Furthermore, advocates of personal responsibility argue that framing health as someone else’s problem can be disempowering. When individuals attribute their choices entirely to outside forces, they risk becoming passive. Taking ownership, by contrast, builds confidence, resilience, and a sense of purpose, qualities that are central to a positive identity.

2. Social and Environmental Influences

However, the idea that individuals are entirely responsible for their own health is increasingly challenged by social scientists and public health experts. Research in sociology demonstrates that where we grow up, how much money our family has, and the cultural rules we are raised with profoundly shape the choices available to us.

A teenager growing up in a neighborhood with no safe parks or affordable sports facilities cannot simply “choose” to exercise easily. A family with limited income may struggle to prioritize fresh vegetables over cheaper processed foods. These are not failures of willpower; they are structural barriers, obstacles built into the environment that restrict genuine choice.

Moreover, advertising and social media exert enormous pressure on young people. Brands invest billions in campaigns designed to shape preferences and habits, often targeting teenagers who are at a particularly impressionable stage of development.

3. The Role of Government and Shared Responsibility

A third perspective argues that responsibility is not an either-or choice; it does not belong entirely to the individual or entirely to society, but is shared. Governments, schools, families, and communities all have a role in creating the conditions that make healthy living possible and accessible.

In recent decades, many governments have introduced public health policies intended to guide and encourage better choices: taxes on high-sugar drinks, restrictions on junk food advertising near schools, and national campaigns promoting physical activity. Proponents argue that these measures do not remove individual freedom — they reshape the environment so that the healthier choice becomes the easier choice.

Economist Richard Thaler’s concept of the “nudge” captures this idea precisely: small, well-designed changes to the context in which decisions are made can shift behavior without restricting freedom. From this viewpoint, responsibility is not abandoned by the individual — it is supported and shared by the structures around them.

State whether each statement is True (T), False (F) or Not Given (NG). Justify your answer.

Not Given means the text never answers it either way — not that you are unsure. In this exercise the text answers all five, so none of them is NG. Noticing that is part of the skill.