What is Health?

For many people health is simply a matter of staying well or getting over illness quickly but the the definition of health according to World Health Organization (1948) is,  

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

Health is maintained and improved through the efforts and intelligent lifestyle choices of the individual and society. Achieving and maintaining health is an ongoing process, shaped by the evolution of health care knowledge and practices as well as personal strategies and organized interventions for staying healthy.

Aspects of health;

Most of us accept that health can be divided into two broad aspects; physical and mental health.

Physical health;

Normally for humans, physical health means a good body health, which is healthy because of regular physical activity (exercise), good nuturition, and adequate rest. 

           Mostly when we talk about health people consider it as physical health. Physical health relates to everything concerning our physical body.

           Mental health;

                       According to WHO, mental health is;

"A state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community".

Mental health refers to people's cognitive and emotional well-being. A person who enjoys good mental health does not have a mental disorder. Most people agree that mental health refers to the "absence of mental illness". Many people believe that mental health includes the ability to enjoy life, the ability to achieve balance (moderation), the ability to be flexible and adapt the environment and the ability to feel safe and secure.

Health Determinants;

The health of people and their communities are affected by a wide range of factors.  According to WHO following factors probably have a bigger impact on our health;

          1- Income and social status

          2- Social support networks

          3- Education and literacy

          5- Employment/working conditions

          6- Social environment

          7- Physical environment

          8- Personal health practices and coping skills

          9- Healthy child development

         10- Biology and genetics

         11- Health care services

         12- Gender

         13- Culture

                   
                   We should have to change our concept about health and illness because our wrong behavior may  cause many problems for us while dealing with illness and this will lead to some serious problems. We should adopt some good health habits to avoid illness.

                   
                      I wish you a happy life with good health.God bless you.