Health, as defined by the World Health Organization, is “an indivisible condition of the body and its physiological processes that provide for the maintenance of the normal structure and function of the body organs, the psychological and emotional well-being of the individual, and the protection of the individual against diseases and their consequences.” A number of definitions have also been applied to the definition over the years. One school of thought maintains that health is something that people should strive to attain and maintain throughout their lives. It is viewed as a state of the mind that should be nurtured and healed. When a person is healthy, they are able to deal with other people and can live a long and healthy life.
According to this definition, health is most closely tied to the function of the immune system. The immune system prevents and combats infections that could threaten a person’s life. Health is a state or condition that is characterized by a minimal level of impairment or discomfort when compared to the normal capacity of the body. This definition is most closely linked to the ability to defend and protect oneself. People are healthier when they are at their best and when they can perform their basic functions. When these functions are affected by disease, then a person can suffer from a range of health conditions.
This definition of good health is highly controversial because it has been challenged by many different schools of thought. Some people argue that the disease only affects the physical health but is not impacted mentally or emotionally like it is when one suffers from a mental illness or from a poor physical health condition. Other people believe that good health is completely unrelated to any external factors and is the result of an internal source such as an intact immune system. This school of thought maintains that disease only has an effect on the body when it reaches a certain point, such as a major surgery or being diagnosed with a chronic disease such as cancer.
The debate continues until researchers have a solid scientific definition of what good health is. For the purposes of this article, we’ll be defining the general concept of health as it relates to most of the industrialized world. In this definition, the goal of good health is related to a person’s ability to live a productive and functional life. It is believed that a person who has a strong immune system and a high quality nutrient-rich diet can be considered to be in a healthy state.
There are many elements of the definition that are open to argument. For example, what if a person is considered to have a weak immune system but consumes lots of supplements and eats a healthy diet? Under this assumption, this person would not be classified as having optimal health systems. Similarly, there are debates over whether a person with diabetes is in need of frequent medical evaluations and whether it is better for them to undergo a strict dietary regimen than it is for them to follow a healthy lifestyle. This definition also does not take into consideration the fact that the definition of health often encompasses a person’s lifestyle or habits such as smoking or alcohol consumption.
Regardless, of which definition you prefer, the important thing is that health care professionals and researchers have defined health care as a way of improving a person’s life. For all the definitions that have come and gone along the way, this definition has remained constant because no single definition could fully describe the essence and workings of health care. The definition of health care that we currently use may even continue to change as more knowledge about the disease process and the function of the human body is gained. If you are struggling to understand how health care relates to your life, a more in-depth definition may be helpful.