What Is Health? What Does Good Health Mean?

[Guest guest]

What Is Health? What Does Good Health Mean?

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/150999.php

The English word " health " comes from the Old English word hale, meaning

" wholeness, a being whole, sound or well, " . Hale comes from the

Proto-Indo-European root kailo, meaning " whole, uninjured, of good omen " . Kailo

comes from the Proto-Germanic root khalbas, meaning " something divided " .

Medilexicon's medical dictionary has three definitions for health, the first

being " The state of the organism when it functions optimally without evidence of

disease or abnormality " (click here to read the other two).

World Health Organization's (WHO's) definition of " health "

The most famous modern definition of health was created during a Preamble to the

Constitution of the World Health Organization as adopted by the International

Health Conference, New York, 19-22 June, 1946; signed on 22 July 1946 by the

representatives of 61 States (Official Records of the World Health Organization,

no. 2, p. 100) and entered into force on 7 April 1948.

" Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not

merely the absence of disease or infirmity. "

The Definition has not been amended since 1948.

During the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion in 1986, the WHO said that health

is:

" a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive

concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical

capacities. "

The Lancet questions WHO's definition of health

An article in The Lancet states that health is not a " state of complete

physical, mental, and social well-being " . Neither is it " merely the absence of

disease or infirmity " . The article says the WHO definitions of health will not

do in an era marked by new understandings of disease at molecular, individual,

and societal levels. (The Lancet, Volume 373, Issue 9666, Page 781, 7 March

2009).

Most people accept that health can be divided into two broad aspects - physical

and mental health.

P

hysical health

For humans, physical health means a good body health, which is healthy because

of regular physical activity (exercise), good nutrition, and adequate rest.

As a country's or region's people experience improved nutrition, health care,

standards of living and quality of life, their height and weight generally

increase.

In fact, most people, when asked for a definition of health talk about physical

health. Physical health relates to anything concerning our bodies as physical

entities. Physical health has been the basis for active living campaigns and the

many nutrition drives that have swept the industrialized world. People are

exposed to so much " physical health " data these days that it is hard to decide

what is relevant and what is not.

Another term for physical health is physical wellbeing. Physical wellbeing is

defined as something a person can achieve by developing all health-related

components of his/her lifestyle. Fitness reflects a person's cardiorespiratory

endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, and body composition. Other

contributors to physical wellbeing may include proper nutrition, bodyweight

management, abstaining from drug abuse, avoiding alcohol abuse, responsible

sexual behavior (sexual health), hygiene, and getting the right amount of sleep.

Mental health

Mental health refers to people's cognitive and emotional well-being. A person

who enjoys good mental health does not have a mental disorder. According to WHO,

mental health is " a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or

her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work

productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her

community " .

No matter how many definitions people try to come up with regarding mental

health, its assessment is still a subjective one.

People have always found it easier to explain what mental illness is, rather

than mental health. Most people agree that mental health refers to the " absence

of mental illness " . For some, this definition is not enough. They argue that if

you pick 100 people who do not suffer from any mental disorder or illness that

could be diagnosed by a psychiatrist, some people within those 100 will be

mentally healthier than others. Most people also agree that mental health

includes the ability to enjoy life, the ability to bounce back from adversity,

the ability to achieve balance (moderation), the ability to be flexible and

adapt, the ability to feel safe and secure, and self-actualization (making the

best of what you have).

Determinants of health

The health of individual people and their communities are affected by a wide

range of contributory factors. People's good or bad health is determined by

their environment and situations - what is happening and what has happened to

them, says WHO. WHO says that the following factors probably have a bigger

impact on our health than access and use of health care services:

Where we live

The state of our environment

Genetics

Our income

Our education level

Our relationship with friends and family

WHO says the main determinants to health are:

Our economy and society ( " The social and economic environment " )

Where we live, what is physically around us ( " The physical environment " )

What we are and what we do ( " The person's individual characteristics and

behaviors " )

As our good health depends on the context of our lives, praising or criticizing

people for their good or bad health is wrong. Most of the factors that

contribute towards our good or bad health are out of our control. According to

WHO, these factors (determinants), include the following, among others:

Socioeconomic status - the higher a person's socioeconomic status is, the more

likely he/she is to enjoy good health. The link is a clear one. Socioeconomic

status affects all members of the family, including newborn babies. An

Australian study found that women of lower socioeconomic status are less likely

to breastfeed their newborn babies - a factor which will have an impact on the

health of the baby just as he/she enters the world. A South Korean study

revealed a clear link between low socioeconomic status and heart attack and

stroke risk.

Education - people with lower levels of education generally have a higher risk

of experiencing poorer health. Their levels of stress will most likely be

higher, compared to people with higher academic qualifications. A person with a

high level of education will probably have higher self-esteem. A study carried

out by researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine,

Chicago, found that elderly people who had a higher level of health literacy

were more likely to live longer. Another study from San Francisco VA Medical

Center found that Literacy at less than a ninth-grade level almost doubles the

five-year risk of mortality among elderly people.

Physical environment - if your water is clean and safe, the air you breathe is

pure, your workplace is healthy, your house is comfortable and safe, you are

more likely to enjoy good health compared to somebody whose water supply is not

clean and safe, the air he/she breathes is contaminated, the workplace is

unhealthy, etc. A study carried out by researchers at Zuyd University, The

Netherlands, found that just an hour of sniffing car exhaust fumes induces a

stress response in the brain's activity. Another study carried out at Indiana

University-Purdue University found that chronic lead poisoning, caused in part

by the ingestion of contaminated dirt, affects hundreds of thousands more

children in the United States than the acute lead poisoning associated with

imported toys or jewelry.

Job prospects and employment conditions - if you have a job, statistics show you

are more likely to enjoy better health than people who are unemployed. If you

have some control over your working conditions your health will benefit too. A

study by researchers at State University of New York at Albany found that

workers who lost their job through no fault of their own were twice as likely as

continuously employed workers to report over the next 18 months that they

developed a new illness, such as high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease.

Support from people around you - if you have family support, as well as support

from friends and your community your chances of enjoying good health are far

greater than somebody who has none of these things. A study carried out at the

University of Washington found that strong family support, not peer support, is

protective in reducing future suicidal behavior among young adults when they

have experienced depression or have attempted suicide.

Culture - the traditions and customs of a society and how a family responds to

them play an important role in people's health. The impact could be either good

or bad for health. The tradition of genital mutilation of women has an impact on

infection rates and the mental health of millions of girls and women in many

countries. A study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health

found that when young people dress according to the customs of their own ethnic

group, they may be less likely to have mental health problems later in life.

Genetic inheritance - people's longevity, general health, and propensity to

certain diseases are partly determined by their genetic makeup. Researchers from

Vrije Universiteit, Holland, the Medical College of Georgia, USA, and Duke

University, USA showed that people's genes play a key role in how they respond

both biologically and psychologically to stress in their environment.

What we do and how we manage - what we eat, our physical activity, whether or

not we smoke or drink or take drugs, and how we cope with stress play an

important role on our physical and mental well-being.

Access and use of health services - a society that has access and uses good

quality health services is more likely to enjoy better health than one that

doesn't. For example, developed countries that have universal health care

services have longer life expectancies for their people compared to developed

countries that don't.

Gender - men and women are susceptible to some different diseases, conditions

and physical experiences, which play a role in our general health. For example,

childbirth, ovarian cancer, and cervical cancer, are experienced only by women,

while prostate cancer, testicular cancer are only experienced by men. During

wars more men than women tend to be called up to fight, and subsequently become

injured or die. Adult women are more likely to be the physical victims of

domestic abuse, compared to adult men. In some societies women are not given the

same access to education as men - education is a factor that influences health.

Many studies have revealed gender disparities in healthcare services, even in

developed countries.

What is wellness?

The term wellness was first used by a doctor called Halbert L. Dunn, USA, who

published a small booklet entitled " High Level Wellness " in 1961. The term is

much more widely used in North American than in the United Kingdom.

According to the Mickinley Health Center, University of Illinois, wellness " is a

state of optimal well-being that is oriented toward maximizing an individual's

potential. This is a life-long process of moving towards enhancing your

physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, and environmental

well-being. "

The University of East Carolina defines wellness as " the integration of mind,

body and spirit. Optimal wellness allows us to achieve our goals and find

meaning and purpose in our lives. Wellness combines seven dimensions of

well-being into a quality way of living. Overall, wellness is the ability to

live life to the fullest and to maximize personal potential in a variety of

ways. Wellness involves continually learning and making changes to enhance your

state of wellness. When we balance the physical, intellectual, emotional,

social, occupational, spiritual, and environmental aspects of life, we achieve

true wellness. "

According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary, wellness is " A philosophy of life

and personal hygiene that views health as not merely the absence of illness but

the full realization of one's physical and mental potential, as achieved through

positive attitudes, fitness training, a diet low in fat and high in fiber, and

the avoidance of unhealthful practices (smoking, drug and alcohol abuse,

overeating) " .