Health, as defined by the World Health Organization, is a condition of full physical, emotional and social well being and not just the absence of illness and infirmity. Various definitions have been utilized over the years for various purposes. Today, the most common definition in the United States is being “at the best possible health” which emphasizes on being psychologically, physically, socially, and emotionally healthy. People may differ on the extent of their definition of health, but no matter what their definition is health is something that every individual strives for. It affects all aspects of life and is an important component in the sense of personal worth and social interaction.
In this article, we will look at some of the historical and current debates surrounding the definition of health care. The original definition, first introduced in the 1774 treatise On Causes and Adverse Effects of Anemia, defines health as the condition of a human being that provides him or her with everything he or she needs to live a happy life. This definition was created in order to distinguish it from the definition of physical well being, which many other disciplines had been using in order to demarcate the boundaries between the human and non-human subjects. This definition has since then been refined in order to be able to better define the concept. The current definition on the medical definition of health, which was published by the World Health Organization in 1988, defines health as a process of the entire body and mind being in a state of harmony, equilibrium that is both consistent and regular.
The second definition is that health is a state of well being that can be maintained by natural means. Therefore, disease or infirmity is not an obstacle to one’s well being. It is also important to note that a person who is infirm does not necessarily suffer from a disease. The term disease in this definition is used in a broad sense, to denote any physical problem or condition that is beyond repair.
In order to improve your health, you must first establish some criteria for what constitutes as healthy. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the four key factors that define health is: the complete physical condition of the body, the psychological health, the social well-being, and the ability to gain access to needed services. The complete physical condition refers to the functions of the body, such as the organs, the musculoskeletal system, and the systems for breathing, circulation, immunity, and elimination. Psychological well-being refers to one’s attitude towards life, one’s motivation, abilities, talents, strengths, and preferences. The social well being refers to one’s attitude towards others, their health, relationships, work and leisure, and other aspects of daily life.
The third main article of the article defines health as the sum total of all the gains of the previous ten years, equating to one’s potential to enjoy a favorable life in the future. According to this article, people have the capacity to become healthy when the quality of their health is high, but this comes at a cost. The potential to gain benefits from the previous ten years, or the sum total of the potential gains over the preceding ten years, are known as the limitations of health. Limitations are often genetic in nature, where the health of one’s parents may not be as encouraging as one’s own, or it may be caused by environmental factors.
The fourth and final factor, the limitations of health, is also referred to as morbidity. This definition involves the number of deaths that occur each year due to a variety of chronic diseases. Chronic diseases include chronic heart diseases, diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer’s disease, and osteoporosis among many others. The fifth definition is morbidity as “excess death due to age 65.” This age 65 limit pertains to deaths that occur over the course of ten years due to various chronic diseases.