What Is Health?
Health is a state of being physically, mentally and socially well. People can achieve their full health potential only if they are free from disease and impairments and if they have a sense of personal well-being and satisfaction with life. It is an all-encompassing process that involves pursuing a balance of healthy lifestyle choices and medical treatment when necessary.
There is an enormous amount of information about Health available, including scientific papers published in journals and news reports. A good way to start looking for topics is by keeping up with the research, whether that’s following articles in scientific publications or watching the world around you for trends such as a spike in coronavirus cases or an increase in medical bankruptcy filings.
It is important to remember that Health articles should not include any opinion, even if it’s about how you think the subject should be handled. Opinion statements can appear biased and may confuse readers. It’s also important to follow the tone of the piece you’re writing – a medical or wellness article needs to be authoritative but also friendly and approachable.
Traditionally, the medical definition of Health has focused on a person’s ability to live with a given disease or illness. However, there has been a shift away from viewing this as the only possible definition of Health. It has been suggested that a better approach would be to view Health as a resource for living. This would imply that not only the absence of disease or symptoms should be considered when judging health, but that there are other positive values that can compensate for these losses.
In practice, this has shifted the emphasis from treating people with a given disease to trying to improve their quality of life. This is often done through community health programs and other forms of public health interventions that are designed to make a difference in the overall health of a population.
A person’s health depends on many factors, including their genetic makeup, the physical environment in which they live (including such things as air and water pollution, crime levels and access to healthcare), their economic situation, their lifestyle choices, behaviours and social connections and supports. These are known as the ‘health determinants’.
The genetic factor is very important, as genes influence a person’s susceptibility to certain diseases or conditions, such as inherited diabetes or heart disease. A person’s lifestyle choices can also have an impact on their health, for example, smoking can cause cancer, and drinking too much alcohol can lead to liver damage. Similarly, exercise can reduce the risk of obesity and high blood pressure, while poor diet can increase the likelihood of developing heart disease or diabetes. The social environment also influences a person’s health, for example, access to recreational spaces including natural environment or affordable housing may help people maintain a healthy weight and manage their stress levels. This in turn affects their mental health and their social interactions.
Health is a state of being physically, mentally and socially well. People can achieve their full health potential only if they are free from disease and impairments and if they have a sense of personal well-being and satisfaction with life. It is an all-encompassing process that involves pursuing a balance of healthy lifestyle choices and medical treatment when necessary. There is an enormous amount of information about Health available, including scientific papers published in journals and news reports. A good way to start looking for topics is by keeping up with the research, whether that’s following articles in scientific publications or watching the world around you for trends such as a spike in coronavirus cases or an increase in medical bankruptcy filings. It is important to remember that Health articles should not include any opinion, even if it’s about how you think the subject should be handled. Opinion statements can appear biased and may confuse readers. It’s also important to follow the tone of the piece you’re writing – a medical or wellness article needs to be authoritative but also friendly and approachable. Traditionally, the medical definition of Health has focused on a person’s ability to live with a given disease or illness. However, there has been a shift away from viewing this as the only possible definition of Health. It has been suggested that a better approach would be to view Health as a resource for living. This would imply that not only the absence of disease or symptoms should be considered when judging health, but that there are other positive values that can compensate for these losses. In practice, this has shifted the emphasis from treating people with a given disease to trying to improve their quality of life. This is often done through community health programs and other forms of public health interventions that are designed to make a difference in the overall health of a population. A person’s health depends on many factors, including their genetic makeup, the physical environment in which they live (including such things as air and water pollution, crime levels and access to healthcare), their economic situation, their lifestyle choices, behaviours and social connections and supports. These are known as the ‘health determinants’. The genetic factor is very important, as genes influence a person’s susceptibility to certain diseases or conditions, such as inherited diabetes or heart disease. A person’s lifestyle choices can also have an impact on their health, for example, smoking can cause cancer, and drinking too much alcohol can lead to liver damage. Similarly, exercise can reduce the risk of obesity and high blood pressure, while poor diet can increase the likelihood of developing heart disease or diabetes. The social environment also influences a person’s health, for example, access to recreational spaces including natural environment or affordable housing may help people maintain a healthy weight and manage their stress levels. This in turn affects their mental health and their social interactions.