How to Define Health
A person’s health is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon. It has to do with the balance between life circumstances and personal resources and is determined by a process of adapting to them. This process is dynamic and involves many factors – the environment as well as individual behaviors – which cannot be controlled directly. Nevertheless, they can be modified and improved. A definition that only focuses on the absence of disease or as a state of perfect health, as some have proposed, could reduce human beings to functional organisms and ignore the value that people attach to the experience of being healthy for its own sake.
Other proposals for defining health focus on the determinants of health. This approach may be useful, but it risks confusing cause and effect by assuming that if a particular factor is changed then health will improve. It also omits the fact that many of the determinants of health are beyond the control of individuals and societies, such as genetic endowment and environmental factors.
The concept of Health as a structural, functional and emotional state that is compatible with the life of an individual as a member of society is an alternative. It builds on the original definition of the WHO in 1948 and includes an experiential element that is missing from other proposals. It also avoids the absolutist position of a ‘complete state’ and links health to the ability to participate socially, a point that is missing from many other definitions.
A third possibility is to define health as the capacity of individuals to self-manage and cope in the face of illness, disability and other challenges. This definition relates to the quality of life and includes a positive dimension that echoes the concept of resilience, which is the capacity for communities to withstand and even generate new ways of living in the face of change, uncertainty or adversity.
All of these approaches can help to bring a more holistic perspective to the study and improvement of health. In the case of the first, it allows efforts to go beyond the traditional reduction of disease and disability and address improvements in people’s responses and perceptions of their illnesses; in their functional capacity both now and in the future; and in their overall sense of physical, emotional, and social well-being.
Once you have a clear idea of what your article will be about, it is important to fully focus on it. You can do this by putting aside other distractions and giving your full attention to the task at hand. This will allow you to write more effectively and produce an article that connects with your readers. It is also a good idea to show your article to others, like friends or family members who will give you feedback on it. You can also send it to a professional editor who can provide feedback on its content, structure and clarity. Finally, don’t be afraid to start over if you don’t feel that your initial draft is up to par.
A person’s health is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon. It has to do with the balance between life circumstances and personal resources and is determined by a process of adapting to them. This process is dynamic and involves many factors – the environment as well as individual behaviors – which cannot be controlled directly. Nevertheless, they can be modified and improved. A definition that only focuses on the absence of disease or as a state of perfect health, as some have proposed, could reduce human beings to functional organisms and ignore the value that people attach to the experience of being healthy for its own sake. Other proposals for defining health focus on the determinants of health. This approach may be useful, but it risks confusing cause and effect by assuming that if a particular factor is changed then health will improve. It also omits the fact that many of the determinants of health are beyond the control of individuals and societies, such as genetic endowment and environmental factors. The concept of Health as a structural, functional and emotional state that is compatible with the life of an individual as a member of society is an alternative. It builds on the original definition of the WHO in 1948 and includes an experiential element that is missing from other proposals. It also avoids the absolutist position of a ‘complete state’ and links health to the ability to participate socially, a point that is missing from many other definitions. A third possibility is to define health as the capacity of individuals to self-manage and cope in the face of illness, disability and other challenges. This definition relates to the quality of life and includes a positive dimension that echoes the concept of resilience, which is the capacity for communities to withstand and even generate new ways of living in the face of change, uncertainty or adversity. All of these approaches can help to bring a more holistic perspective to the study and improvement of health. In the case of the first, it allows efforts to go beyond the traditional reduction of disease and disability and address improvements in people’s responses and perceptions of their illnesses; in their functional capacity both now and in the future; and in their overall sense of physical, emotional, and social well-being. Once you have a clear idea of what your article will be about, it is important to fully focus on it. You can do this by putting aside other distractions and giving your full attention to the task at hand. This will allow you to write more effectively and produce an article that connects with your readers. It is also a good idea to show your article to others, like friends or family members who will give you feedback on it. You can also send it to a professional editor who can provide feedback on its content, structure and clarity. Finally, don’t be afraid to start over if you don’t feel that your initial draft is up to par.