The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined health as complete physical, mental, and social well-being. Keeping oneself healthy is essential, but promoting overall health also requires reducing risk factors and engaging in positive lifestyle habits. While some factors are individual and can be modified or eliminated, other factors are structural, such as age and gender. In this article, we discuss some of the important aspects of health, and explore their implications for promoting health and wellbeing.
The concept of health is complex. It encompasses a range of social, psychological, and physical capacities. The term ‘health’ has multiple dimensions, including an individual’s capacity to maintain homeostasis, resist the onset of disease, and recover from adverse events. It also includes the ability to handle stress, acquire skills, and form and maintain relationships. In the context of global health, it refers to the ability of communities to work together to ensure the well-being of people.
A biopsychosocial model of health aims to incorporate social, psychological, and ecological factors in health. The World Health Organisation’s definition of health is “complete well-being”. This is an ambitious, absolute goal, and may not suit today’s changing circumstances. In this context, ageing with non-communicable diseases is often considered a “common” scenario. Fortunately, there is a holistic approach to health that is grounded in the science of biology and the social sciences.
The term health is often associated with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, which set out the goals and means of achieving them. The UN’s World Health Organization’s constitution on the topic was published in 1984 and describes health as “the ability to satisfy one’s needs and change the environment”. The World Human Rights Organisation (WHO) defines health as “a comprehensive well-being that reaches beyond the body’s physiological and mental capacities.” The WHO’s definition of health as a right is endorsed by numerous nation states.
The World Health Organisation (WHO)’s constitution on health was adopted in 1948 and was based on the definition of health as a human resource. According to the constitution, “health is the ability to satisfy basic needs and adapt to the environment.” In other words, it is the ability to be healthy and to feel good. Its goal is to help people achieve the highest level of well-being possible. While the WHO does not prescribe specific treatments or diagnose illnesses, it does recognize that disease is the root of many other problems and focuses on the causes of illness.
The World Health Organization (WHO) constitution has changed since 1948. Its constitution now focuses on the various facets of health, focusing on physical and mental health. Its constitution addresses the physical and mental aspects of health and defines it as a resource for daily life. Its aim is to improve the quality of life of individuals, communities, and the planet. Moreover, it identifies diseases and defines the causes of illness. In other words, it aims to improve the quality of life of people worldwide.