THE word health refers to a state of complete emo-tional and physical well-being. Healthcare exists to help people maintain this optimal state of health.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), healthcare costs in the United States were $3.5 trillion in 2017.
However, despite this expenditure, people in the U.S. have a lower life expectancy than people in other developed coun-tries. This is due to a variety of factors, including access to healthcare and lifestyle choices.
Good health is central to handling stress and living a longer, more active life. In this article, we explain the meaning of good health, the types of health a person needs to consider, and how to preserve good health.
In 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined health with a phrase that modern authorities still apply.
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” In 1986, the WHO made fur-ther clarifications: “A resource for everyday life, not the objective of living.
Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities.”
This means that health is a resource to support an individual’s function in wider society, rather than an end in itself. A healthful life-style provides the means to lead a full life with meaning and purpose.
In 2009, researchers publishing inThe Lancet de-fined health as the ability of a body to adapt to new threats and infirmities.
They base this definition on the idea that the past few decades have seen modern science take significant strides in the awareness of diseases by understanding how they work, discover-ing new ways to slow or stop them, and acknowl-edging that an absence of pathology may not be possible.
Mental and physical health are probably the two most frequently discussed types of health. Spiritual, emotional, and financial health also contribute to overall health.
Medical experts have linked these to lower stress levels and improved mental and physi-cal well-being.
People with better financial health, for example, may worry less about finances and have the means to buy fresh food more regularly.
Those with good spiritual health may feel a sense of calm and purpose that fuels good mental health.
