This article explores how people's values shape their experiences and emotions with respect to physical activity, eating, and body image. It describes the results of a grounded theory analysis of individual and focus group interviews conducted as part of a community-based health improvement project, Wellness IN the Rockies (WIN the Rockies). The analysis links core theoretical constructs, including habitus, sedimentation, and natural attitude, to larger socio-cultural and historical trends embodied in the Protestant ethic and the rise of consumerism, illuminating how these values shape people's everyday understanding of their experiences. Key analytic frameworks focus on the socialization processes involved in inculcating values, identity formation, and moralization as they relate to health attitudes and behaviors. Major implications of the results are discussed, especially the need to enhance self-understanding about social values in health education.
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