HEALTH- What is Health?

What is health? It is something that all of us take for granted. Health is defined as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

Physical health refers to good body health, and is the result of regular exercise, proper diet and nutrition, and proper rest for physical recovery. Physical health is anything that has to do with our bodies as a physical entity. Physical health of a person indicates his/her height and weight, the nutrition intake and the general well being .

Mental health refers to an individual's emotional and psychological well-being. It is where an individual is able to use his or her cognitive and emotional capabilities, function in society, and meet the ordinary demands of everyday life.Feeling capable and competent, being able to handle stress, maintain satisfying relationships, and lead an independent life, and being able to recover from difficult situations or traumas, are all signs of mental health.

Social well being is a state of affairs where the basic needs of a person are met. Ideally, it is where a person’s basic wants are met and that he has the financial means to sustain a reasonable lifestyle. This can be done either through income received from employment, investments or other means. An ideal situation is where there is no poverty and where unemployment is insignificant.

Good health is critical to well being. Without good health, people are less able to enjoy their lives to the fullest extent, their options are limited and their general levels of contentment and happiness are likely to be reduced.
Good health has two core dimensions: how long people live and the quality of their lives. The desired outcomes is that not only do people want to enjoy long lives, but also want to be free from the pain, suffering and incapacity that result from injury or illness.

Unfortunately, not everybody can live a fully independent life. For some people, illness or disability means they need support from families, government agencies or other networks to overcome barriers to their participation in society. Getting this support is an important part of social well being.

A range of factors affects health outcomes, including genetic predisposition, behaviour, the physical and social environment and the availability of health services. We should try to identify these factors and work towards our advantage so that we can maintain a good combination of physical, emotional, social and mental well-being. This is vital to achieve overall good health.