The original definition of health was described as a one dimensional state of being. If a person was void of illness or disease, they were declared healthy. We now understand that health is a multidimensional state of being. It is comprised of three major dimensions: physical, emotional, and social. Physical health speaks to what we eat, our activity levels, taking preventative medications, and whether or not we partake in harmful or risky behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse. Our emotional health is encompassed by how well we deal with our emotions, our stress levels, and our happiness. Our social health includes our ability to maintain healthy social relationships, our socioeconomic status, and the part we play within our community. What we eat and drink directly effects how beneficial our exercise routines are. If I’m eating a balanced and healthy diet, burning calories should be a breeze. But what if I’m eating junk food? For a woman my age with my lifestyle, my recommended calorie intake should fall between 2,000 and 2,200 calories (Cespedes, 2015). If I were to eat an entire Big Mac meal totaling in 1,400 calories, I would have to walk 9.5 miles to burn that off ("To Burn Off Big Mac Meal, Walk This Far - Netscape Home & Living", n.d.). To add insult to injury, fast food would make me feel sluggish, bloated, and hungry for more. When our bodies are exposed to too much sugar, it throws our pancreas into overdrive causing it to produce a lot of insulin to counteract the spike in blood sugar. Junk food lacks all of the protein and good carbohydrates that your body needs to function properly, therefore it leaves you feeling tired and craving more food ("Fast Food Nutrition: Junk Food 's Effect On Your Body", n.d.). It’s a vicious cycle and I have fallen prey to this. If I could choose one last meal to eat before I die, it would be a juicy cheeseburger with the works and a side of French fries with a vanilla shake. I will die a happy woman. But if I ate like that every single day and neglected to exercise, I would likely be morbidly obese and eventually diabetic or worse. Eating healthy is something that I struggle I see the worst in all situations. I jump to the worst case scenario conclusions on a regular basis. I live my life with the bar of expectation painfully low so that when something unfortunate happens, I’m not disappointed. My overall happiness is something that I have to work at on a daily basis. It’s tough to look inwardly at this flaw of mine, but I’m conscientious of it. The majority of my pessimism stems from my frustration of adult life. I’ve had personal relationships fail that have devastated me. I often times have financial problems because I currently make just above minimum wage. I get overwhelmed with balancing all areas of my life. We are all born with a baseline of happiness, but fortunately we aren’t stuck there. We can choose happiness. Happiness is attainable for those who have an intention to be happy. Once I choose happiness, I take a minute to think of five things that I’m deeply grateful for. That immediately boosts my mood. If I get stuck in a rut, I force myself out of that dark place and surround myself with people that lift my spirits. Having a wonderful family and great friends are the building blocks to my
‘Health is a state of physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’ (World Health Organisation, 2011) This definition was first cited by the International health conference in July 1946, and the definition has remained the same. Health is a way of life which is reflected upon every individual, factors such as the condition of your body, has an impact on your health overall. Additionally, if an individual being is fit and in good shape, they are more likely to make healthy choices. Presently, in society around 10 million adults in Britain smoke, (BBC News 2007).Take the example of cigarettes, much of the known effects of smoking include heart disease, lung cancer, heart attacks and much more. Yet adults around the world are constantly engaging in this habit which ultimately deteriorates the health of a being.
Imagine you are sitting on a park bench and two different people pass you- one is an overweight young man who is smoking a cigarette and the other is a slim woman of about the same age who is jogging. Who is healthier, the man or the woman? Now imagine you actually know the woman and know that she has cystic fibrosis. Who is healthier, the man or the woman? Now imagine you know the man as well, and know that he has severe depression. Who is healthier, the man or the woman? ‘Health’ can be seen as a very vague term. Many people have different understandings of it and what it means to be ‘healthy’. This paper will examine the different ways that health can be defined and it will justify the approach which
The common feature of our current concept of health is that individuals can have better health in one specific dimension and a reduced health in another. This could be an example of being completely fit and healthy but still have a mental disability. The three dimensions of health are all interrelated and can have an impact on each other.
Health is described as physical and mental well-being and freedom from disease, pain or defect. However, such descriptions only superficially define the actual meaning of health. There may be many occasions when individuals are not necessarily ill or in pain but may be overweight, stressed or emotionally unstable. Health is a quality of life involving dynamic interaction and interdependence among the individual’s physical state, their mental and emotional reactions, and the social context in which the individual exists. There are many factors that influence your health, but three major components contribute to general well-being: Self-awareness, a balanced diet and, regular physical activity.
In this essay I am going to investigate whether health is easily defined as the absence of disease or physical injury. According to Health psychology (2009) ‘World Health Organisation defined health as a complete state of physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’. In order to achieve good physical a nutrition diet is needed, healthy BMI, rest and adequate physical exercise is needed.
“What is health? For some, health means the absence of disease and pain; for others, it is a general feeling of wellness.
As defined by World Health Organization health is a "State of complete physical, mental, and social well being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” So much is made about whether health care should be a necessity and the costs and benefits of creating a national health care system. The debate can be centered upon ethical issues as well as economical feasibility. I believe health is the balance between your physical, mental and social well-being, in my opinion all three factors are essential for good health. I am a twenty year old Asian woman. In relation to health for myself, I consider it to mean being able to function sufficiently as a human being without significant pain, disease and psychological problems. It also means
The notion of health is contextual and an interactive, dynamic process between person and environment (Schim et al, 2007). Both wellness and illness are conceptualized by the ‘person’, existing on a continuum across the lifespan (Arnold & Boggs, 2001).
"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." (World Health Organization, 1946) While well-being means a lack of illness and disease, the ability to maintain your mind and soul in a state of balance. There is a vast majority of areas that need to consider in order classifying health and well-being. Several non modifiable factors affecting health can be genetics, gender, race, age. Other factors like personality, attitudes and thoughts that can affect the lifestyle. The relation within a social group, referred to their attitudes, orientations, or behaviours which take the interests, intentions, or needs of other people into account. As general health can have a massive influence on relationship between friends and family. Awareness of emotion changes, the ability to sustain in control of them, resolving problems, and coping with stress. It also depends on the natural environment. Weather, especially extreme heat and cold and icy conditions, inhibits participation in outdoor activities such as walking, cycling and playing at the park.
In society today, there is an extensive range of definitions of health and wellbeing which can be seen as both positive and negative. A Holistic view can also be identified and defined. These definitions of health have changed over time and will carry on changing within the future. According to where a family lives or their social class everyone will have different meanings and views of health and wellbeing. This may be due to what one person perceives as being healthy as another person may not. Channel 4 learning (no date) describes that a positive view of health can be seen as when a person is more likely to achieve and sustain physical fitness from exercising and are mentally stable. Therefor a negative view can be described when a person is free from illness, disease, mental distress or anything which may be a symptom of not having good health. The holistic view of health sees the person as a whole instead of just directing at one area and therefore combines physical, social, intellectual and emotional factors together. Consequently, if a person has emotional difficulties such as how they interact with other people or how they may feel but are physically fit and free from illness does not mean that they are healthy overall as one factor has difficulties. It is also vital to consider the two main theoretical concepts known as the medical and social model of health. Polity books (no date) describes that the medical model views health in terms of disease, diagnosis and then treatment and very much views a body to be separate from psychological processes. Causes of ill-health within the body are seen to require expert interference from a doctor to provide treatment to prevent or kill of an illness within the body. The Social model...
What does it mean to be healthy? Health is a state of complete physical , mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease, illness or infirmity. It is important to distinguish between disease and health. Disease is the prognosis of a particular disorder with a specific cause and characteristic symptoms. On the other hand, illness is the existence of disease
This also requires the person to be socially and economically productive in order to be seen as healthy. According to Mildred Blaxter (1990), there are different ways of defining health. Furthermore, disease can be seen as the presence of an abnormality in part of the body or where there is a harmful physical change in the body such as broken bones. So, illness is the physical state of disease, that is to say, the symptoms that a person feels because of the disease. However, there is some limitation of these definitions which is not merely an absence of disease but a state of physical, mental, spiritual and social wellbeing.
The first of the six dimensions is physical wellness, which is your body’s overall wellness. This includes the absence of illness and disease and your body’s fitness level. You have to make good, healthy choices to be physically well. Eating healthy, exercising, and seeing a doctor on a regular basis for check-ups are all conducive to physical wellness. Some good examples of people who have achieved physical wellness are; Lance Armstrong and the Venus and Serena Williams.
Contrary to belief, genuine happiness is very rarely found at the bottom of a shopping basket or on the leather seats of a brand new car. Often we hear the cliché saying “Money can’t buy happiness” but this is in fact true. Whilst the elation and delight brought from finally owning a wanted item is extraordinary, you must remind yourself that your happiness should not become dependant upon your ownership of this item. Being happy is not something you can purchase from a shop or car dealership, it is the way you take on life. Unfortunately, happiness does not have its own aisle at shops and never will.
Emotional health includes a person who has full control of his emotions of himself as well as for those people around him and has developed self-confidence, trust within his peers and love that is unwavering in the midst of hardships. Intellectual health describes a person ability to reinforce his experiences through learnings. A socially healthy person is one who can forge strong bonds within his acquaintances and to be able to cope up the usual day-to-day drama. Spiritual wellness involves the strengthening of ones’ belief and at the same time being open to new beliefs. And a physically healthy person takes care of his body and practices healthy habits. Health educators install these five dimensions to their clients by identifying the needs through Maslows’ Hierarchy of needs (Bastable,