How to Write an Article About Health
Health is a state of well-being and the capability to function in the face of changing circumstances. It encompasses a person’s mental and physical abilities, including their social context and resources. Various definitions of health have been proposed, ranging from a narrow biomedical view that equates it with the absence of disease to the broad definition in the World Health Organization constitution that health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.
In the 20th century, the focus of health improvement efforts has shifted away from disease and death toward the concept of functional ability. This shift reflects the recognition that a person’s capacity to function is as much determined by their social and personal resources as it is by medical and public health care systems. Consequently, improving health involves not only the removal of diseases and their prevention but also the development of supportive community environments and policies that enable people to cope with disease, disability, and loss.
The way a person defines their health influences their choices. Some of these choices are within an individual’s control, such as avoiding unhealthful behaviors, such as smoking or excessive stress, while others are outside their control, such as the environment in which they live or their genetic makeup. Some of these choices may even have an impact on the functioning of society, as evidenced by studies showing that the health status of a population has a direct effect on the productivity of its workforce, the ability of its students to learn and master material, and the societal progress towards goals of economic growth and social equity (Patrick and Wickizer, 1995).
As we continue to develop our understanding of health, we must consider new definitions that reflect the complexity of human life. For example, we can no longer simply define health as the absence of disease or disability, because it is now clear that these conditions are the result of dynamic interactions between an individual’s physiology, genetic predispositions, and the animate and inanimate environments in which they are embedded.
When drafting an article about Health, it is helpful to have in mind the format the piece will take – will it be a brief news story, a feature article, or a profile of a researcher working on a particular treatment? These questions will help you to focus your idea and determine what information is most important. It is also important to consider your audience. Who will be reading your article and what is their level of knowledge on the topic? These factors will determine the tone and style of your writing.
Health is a state of well-being and the capability to function in the face of changing circumstances. It encompasses a person’s mental and physical abilities, including their social context and resources. Various definitions of health have been proposed, ranging from a narrow biomedical view that equates it with the absence of disease to the broad definition in the World Health Organization constitution that health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. In the 20th century, the focus of health improvement efforts has shifted away from disease and death toward the concept of functional ability. This shift reflects the recognition that a person’s capacity to function is as much determined by their social and personal resources as it is by medical and public health care systems. Consequently, improving health involves not only the removal of diseases and their prevention but also the development of supportive community environments and policies that enable people to cope with disease, disability, and loss. The way a person defines their health influences their choices. Some of these choices are within an individual’s control, such as avoiding unhealthful behaviors, such as smoking or excessive stress, while others are outside their control, such as the environment in which they live or their genetic makeup. Some of these choices may even have an impact on the functioning of society, as evidenced by studies showing that the health status of a population has a direct effect on the productivity of its workforce, the ability of its students to learn and master material, and the societal progress towards goals of economic growth and social equity (Patrick and Wickizer, 1995). As we continue to develop our understanding of health, we must consider new definitions that reflect the complexity of human life. For example, we can no longer simply define health as the absence of disease or disability, because it is now clear that these conditions are the result of dynamic interactions between an individual’s physiology, genetic predispositions, and the animate and inanimate environments in which they are embedded. When drafting an article about Health, it is helpful to have in mind the format the piece will take – will it be a brief news story, a feature article, or a profile of a researcher working on a particular treatment? These questions will help you to focus your idea and determine what information is most important. It is also important to consider your audience. Who will be reading your article and what is their level of knowledge on the topic? These factors will determine the tone and style of your writing.