According to the World Health Organization, health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. People can promote their health by engaging in healthful activities and avoiding unhealthful situations. While some factors may be caused by individual choices, others may be structural. By using the WHO’s definition, we can learn how to achieve optimal health for ourselves and our families. In addition to providing a healthy lifestyle, we can learn more about the health risks of various activities and foods.
What is the definition of health? The most basic definition of health is the absence of disease. It would make more sense to define health as the absence of disease, but that would exclude a significant segment of life. Health can also be defined as the capacity to cope with daily challenges, such as aging, stress, and physical activity. A person’s subjective sense of well-being is irrelevant to this definition. Those promoting health focus on ensuring that their lives are free of disease and disability.
While the absence of disease is the ultimate goal of health, early diagnosis and excellent management of diseases are important as well. For example, prevention of influenza is important, but so is early and excellent management of diseases. Health-care priorities should be based on individual needs and preferences, as well as a person’s own health profile. By defining health, we are promoting an optimal way of life for ourselves and our family. Our lives depend on it.
