The Biomedical Model And The Health Model Of Public Health

Public health is a concept that will always be subject to conflicting opinion. Over the year’s different ‘models’ of health have been formulated in order to categorise public health into dominant areas of cause and effect. The two models in which this essay will be focusing on are the Biomedical Model and the Lifestyle Theory Model. Although both models have equally arguable advantages and disadvantages, it is difficult to state either model as being ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ in defining the correct pathway to resolving the central health issues of today.

The Biomedical Model constitutes the absence of disease, pain and defect of the body (Fanany, 2012). (Baum, 2012) describes the Biomedical Model in reference to the human body “like clockwork”. He believes that the body is like a machine. Every individual part that fits together must be able to function interpedently for the rest of the body to work – just like a clock.

Following Baum’s reasoning, the Biomedical Model is centred upon the treatment of health problems. For example if a person has a disease or falls ill the Biomedical Model’s focus is towards the body’s physical processes, which includes biochemical, pathological and physiological (Fanany, 2012). This diagnostic approach involves firstly, locating the cause of the illness (the pathogen), and secondly, treating the illness accordingly using Westernised medical interventions (such as drugs or surgery).

The Biomedical Model is the most dominant model throughout the current century because it focuses predominantly on treatment and cure. This brings about an immediate attraction towards the Biomedical Model of health because it is instantaneous. Results are immediate and can be physically felt and seen so a person’s impro...

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...ow them to, or give them the means, to be able to have good health. This is a major downfall for both models as they are completely ruling out a basic human need, environment, as having any influence upon a person’s state of health.

As discussed, it is clear that when it comes to public health the lines are often quite blurred. The Biomedical Model and the Lifestyle Theory Model both have their advantages however a common theme throughout both models is that they are both too reductionist in their approach to health. They failed to consider other health models viewpoints, or incorporate external factors such as the social gradient into their reasoning behind the cause and effect of bad health. Therefore instead of trying to categorise health into definite ‘health models’, health needs to be accepted more for what it is - a forever changing and adapting concept.