What is Health?

Over the last couple of years, more and more people have become conscious of their health. Many are considerate about what they consume, physical exercises and quite recently mental health is gaining momentum in how we think about our health.

 In 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that “health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. This definition received some criticism for it’s immeasurability and ambiguity. In 1984 WHO reviewed the definition of health and declared that health is “A resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities.”  “This new definition from WHO health is viewed as the ability of a person or group of individuals to realize aspirations and satisfy needs, and similarly, to change or cope with the environment. Hence, health is considered a positive concept, emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities.  With this view, the attention lies on promoting healthy practices, even in situations where disease is already present. This concept leads to the idea of health promotion as a process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health”

If you asked many people what they think of health, the answer is usually skewed towards physical well being. Physical health can be defined as normal functioning of the body at all levels; a normal course of biological processes that ensures individual survival and reproduction; a dynamic balance between the body’s functions and the environment; participation in social activities and socially useful work; performance of basic social functions; the absence of diseases, painful conditions, and changes; and the body’s ability to adjust to the constantly changing conditions of the external environment . There has been a dramatic change in the perception that physical health is just the absence of sickness in the body but a reaction of our bodies with the environment and social activities that go on in our day-to-day life’s.

Prince William made the disclosure in a BBC TV documentary about mental health. He said the “British stiff upper lip thing” had its place when times were hard, but people also needed “to relax a little bit and be able to talk about our emotions because we’re not robots”. The Prince of England is spearheading several campaigns to tackle the issue of mental health in the UK. There are several campaigns in the UK and all over the world bringing attention to the reality of mental health. Mental health is a real issue that needs to be tackled, many have suffered grave consequences because they took it lightly. If you have any symptom of mental health, check in with your doctor as soon as possible.

“To ensure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life.” -William Londen. Your health is an invaluable resource, and we must be diligent to keep it at all cost.