A Holistic Definition of Health
Health (pronounced
For the majority of individuals, good health largely depends on their lifestyle choices, which include diet, exercise, stress management, sleep habits, and other factors. Those with less-than-perfect lifestyles tend to experience lower levels of health, as measured by blood pressure and cholesterol, than those who live healthy lifestyles. The degree to which these individual lifestyles contribute to their own health is, however, dependent on the environment in which they live, work and play, and which of a number of risk factors they are exposed to.
A common misconception is that if an individual does not have a disease or injury, they are healthy. This is a simplistic view that does not take into account the wide range of illnesses, ailments and injuries that can affect an individual, including those that are deemed ‘preventable’ such as obesity, ill-fitting dental braces or poor-quality housing. It also excludes the potential negative effects of certain environmental factors, such as being exposed to ozone, on an individual’s health.
Another glaring shortcoming of many definitions of health is that they do not take into account the fact that the enjoyment of the highest standard of health is a relative concept. Inequalities in health occur across society, and a failure to recognise this can make it seem as if there is something wrong with some people, which can then feed into a narrative of ‘othering’.
Lastly, most of the existing definitions of health are not experiential. This is a major failing because the quality of an individual’s health experience is often dependent on their coping abilities, their perceptions of their own health and the wellbeing of their family and community and on the extent to which they are able to participate in the economy and society as a whole.
A new way of thinking about health is needed, and a holistic definition provides the foundation for this. Changing how health is measured will have significant implications for interventions and research, and for policy and practice in healthcare and wider society. It will foster questions about what is measurable, encourage more attention to the context in which people attempt to become and remain healthy, and invite different ways of assessing a person’s resiliency and capacity to adapt to life events. This approach is particularly important in addressing social determinants of health and the broader issues surrounding the development of health inequalities. The new definition of health has implications for all stakeholders in the field of healthcare and for public health and will be discussed in detail below. A number of pitfalls and challenges arise when trying to implement this new definition.
Health (pronounced shee) is a state of physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. In 1948, the World Health Organization formally defined health in terms of “the enjoyment of the highest standard of physical and mental well-being at all times” and proclaimed it as a fundamental right for all human beings without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social status. For the majority of individuals, good health largely depends on their lifestyle choices, which include diet, exercise, stress management, sleep habits, and other factors. Those with less-than-perfect lifestyles tend to experience lower levels of health, as measured by blood pressure and cholesterol, than those who live healthy lifestyles. The degree to which these individual lifestyles contribute to their own health is, however, dependent on the environment in which they live, work and play, and which of a number of risk factors they are exposed to. A common misconception is that if an individual does not have a disease or injury, they are healthy. This is a simplistic view that does not take into account the wide range of illnesses, ailments and injuries that can affect an individual, including those that are deemed ‘preventable’ such as obesity, ill-fitting dental braces or poor-quality housing. It also excludes the potential negative effects of certain environmental factors, such as being exposed to ozone, on an individual’s health. Another glaring shortcoming of many definitions of health is that they do not take into account the fact that the enjoyment of the highest standard of health is a relative concept. Inequalities in health occur across society, and a failure to recognise this can make it seem as if there is something wrong with some people, which can then feed into a narrative of ‘othering’. Lastly, most of the existing definitions of health are not experiential. This is a major failing because the quality of an individual’s health experience is often dependent on their coping abilities, their perceptions of their own health and the wellbeing of their family and community and on the extent to which they are able to participate in the economy and society as a whole. A new way of thinking about health is needed, and a holistic definition provides the foundation for this. Changing how health is measured will have significant implications for interventions and research, and for policy and practice in healthcare and wider society. It will foster questions about what is measurable, encourage more attention to the context in which people attempt to become and remain healthy, and invite different ways of assessing a person’s resiliency and capacity to adapt to life events. This approach is particularly important in addressing social determinants of health and the broader issues surrounding the development of health inequalities. The new definition of health has implications for all stakeholders in the field of healthcare and for public health and will be discussed in detail below. A number of pitfalls and challenges arise when trying to implement this new definition.