Which of the following pairs is correctly matched?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 3

The correct answer is Option (3) → A balanced low fat diet, regular exercise and positive thinking - Health promoting behaviour

Option (1) A virus to which a stressed student exposes himself - Lifestyle — Incorrect. A virus is a pathogen, an agent causing physical illness. Stressed people may expose themselves to pathogens more, but the virus itself is not a lifestyle.

Option (2) Chronic fatigue, irritability and hopelessness after months of overwork - Health impairing behaviour — Incorrect. Chronic fatigue with irritability and hopelessness is burnout, a state of physical, emotional and psychological exhaustion. Health impairing behaviours are habits such as smoking and alcohol abuse.

Option (3) A balanced low fat diet, regular exercise and positive thinking - Health promoting behaviour — Correct. Balanced diet and regular exercise are health promoting behaviours. A lifestyle with a balanced low fat diet, regular exercise and positive thinking enhances health and longevity.

Option (4) The overall pattern of decisions about one's food, sleep and work - Pathogen — Incorrect. The overall pattern of decisions and behaviours that decide health and quality of life is lifestyle. A pathogen is an agent that causes physical illness.

NCERT (2026-27): “Lifestyle
Stress can lead to unhealthy lifestyle or health damaging behaviour. Lifestyle is the overall pattern of decisions and behaviours that determine a person’s health and quality of life. Stressed individuals may be more likely to expose themselves to pathogens, which are agents causing physical illness. People who are stressed have poor nutritional habits, sleep less and are likely to engage in other health risking behaviours like smoking and alcohol abuse. Such health impairing behaviours develop gradually and are accompanied by pleasant experiences temporarily. However, we tend to ignore their long-term damaging effects and underestimate the risk they pose to our lives.”

“Studies have revealed that health promoting behaviour like balanced diet, regular exercise, family support, etc. play an important role in good health. Adhering to a lifestyle that includes balanced low fat diet, regular exercise and continued activity along with positive thinking enhances health and longevity. The modern lifestyle of excesses in eating, drinking and the so called fast-paced good life has led to violation of basic principles of health in some of us, as to what we eat, think or do with our lives.”