Health – A Journey of Well-Being
Health is a state of physical, mental and social well-being that can be defined in many different ways. The concept of health has shifted over time, from the traditional biomedical definition based on absence of disease and infirmity to one focusing on well-being, resilience, balance and adaptability. The concept of health is an individual and personal journey shaped by a diverse range of factors that are constantly changing in response to local and global challenges.
The most common definition of health is that used by the World Health Organization (WHO): “A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” This definition aims to promote human well-being, including social and economic welfare, as opposed to the previous concept of a narrow view of health that only focused on the absence of diseases and infirmities.
Whether a person chooses to define their health in terms of being free from illness, infirmity and disabilities or as an overall feeling of well-being, it is important that their choice is grounded in a sense of purpose and meaning in life. When people are able to achieve and sustain good mental, emotional and physical health they feel better about their lives and are more able to manage stress. Keeping a healthy diet, getting enough exercise and maintaining strong social networks are all important aspects of achieving and sustaining a sense of good health.
It is also important that a person’s ability to achieve and maintain health is not limited by their access to medical care or by the availability of health-related services. This is a crucial insight that has helped to move health promotion away from focusing on specific diseases and conditions and towards the recognition that much of what influences a person’s health is not in their control or the control of formal health systems.
For example, it is estimated that only about 5 years of the 30-year increase in life expectancy achieved during this century can be attributed to health care interventions. The remainder is a result of social and environmental factors that are beyond the control of medical and health care systems.
This shift in understanding what makes for good health has important implications for both research and practice. It suggests that a more holistic perspective may allow researchers and practitioners to develop and test new ways of improving health by targeting the causes rather than treating the symptoms of a disease. It also encourages consideration of a wider array of targets for intervention, for example, by seeking to address the factors that lead teenagers to feel alienated from their communities and thus increase their risk of unintended pregnancy, alcohol and drug use, crime and school dropout.
Health is a state of physical, mental and social well-being that can be defined in many different ways. The concept of health has shifted over time, from the traditional biomedical definition based on absence of disease and infirmity to one focusing on well-being, resilience, balance and adaptability. The concept of health is an individual and personal journey shaped by a diverse range of factors that are constantly changing in response to local and global challenges. The most common definition of health is that used by the World Health Organization (WHO): “A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” This definition aims to promote human well-being, including social and economic welfare, as opposed to the previous concept of a narrow view of health that only focused on the absence of diseases and infirmities. Whether a person chooses to define their health in terms of being free from illness, infirmity and disabilities or as an overall feeling of well-being, it is important that their choice is grounded in a sense of purpose and meaning in life. When people are able to achieve and sustain good mental, emotional and physical health they feel better about their lives and are more able to manage stress. Keeping a healthy diet, getting enough exercise and maintaining strong social networks are all important aspects of achieving and sustaining a sense of good health. It is also important that a person’s ability to achieve and maintain health is not limited by their access to medical care or by the availability of health-related services. This is a crucial insight that has helped to move health promotion away from focusing on specific diseases and conditions and towards the recognition that much of what influences a person’s health is not in their control or the control of formal health systems. For example, it is estimated that only about 5 years of the 30-year increase in life expectancy achieved during this century can be attributed to health care interventions. The remainder is a result of social and environmental factors that are beyond the control of medical and health care systems. This shift in understanding what makes for good health has important implications for both research and practice. It suggests that a more holistic perspective may allow researchers and practitioners to develop and test new ways of improving health by targeting the causes rather than treating the symptoms of a disease. It also encourages consideration of a wider array of targets for intervention, for example, by seeking to address the factors that lead teenagers to feel alienated from their communities and thus increase their risk of unintended pregnancy, alcohol and drug use, crime and school dropout.