Abstract

Public policies to prevent non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by promoting health lifestyles began in Chile in the 1990 s, yet NCDs are still highly prevalent. We draw on the theoretical approaches of the Latin American Collective Health (LACH) and critical medical anthropology (CAM) to elucidate why these polices have not had the desired effects. Women with low socioeconomic status and participating in the Choose Healthy Living Program identified obstacles to healthy living and the subjective tensions resulting from the healthy lifestyles ethic. Their experiences demonstrate how lifestyles emerge from the intersection of agency and structure, so it cannot result from individual action alone.