Can You Define Health?

Last Updated on Tuesday, 18 October 2011 07:22 Written by Natural Health Team Tuesday, 18 October 2011 07:22

Health Information about Can You Define Health?

Have you ever thought about the impact of Word Definitions on Society and Culture? Just consider this: How can we possibly have Health-care, in absence of a clear definition of the term “Health”? Is it then surprising that there is no real health-care system existing, because what we call health-care is – sadly – Illhealth-care?

“Are you Healthy?” – what do you mean by that question – shouldn’t you instead ask: “you are not Sick – are you?” This rather trivial question delivers you to the conundrum: what do you mean by that and how do you interprete the answer?  Talking about our Ill-health at length is a no brainer, but talking about Health in a way that evokes unambiguous understanding of what is meant – does not yet exist? Does it even matter if there is a definition of the rather amorphous term? Well – you wouldn’t dare to go and see a physician in absence of a “symptom” – the exception of your “normal” look or feeling? Of course not, health-care systems do not serve the Healthy, they care about the restoring manifest diversions from the “Normal” condition. In other words, health-care should more aptly be referred to as “sick-care”, or “quick-fix”, because the system has no answers for the Healthy. Consequently, the definition of “sick” is rather obvious, it is: “the visible or experienced reduction of normal physical or mental condition or function”. There are many different ways of expression, but the essence is unequivocally the same and unchallenged.

Now take a crack at defining “Health” and “being healthy” and come up with a concept that evokes a universally equivalent understanding. Obviously a challenge, most dictionaries confine the term as something like “the absence of disease”. But isn’t there much more to Health than the absence of an identifiable ailment? Of course there is! Apart from evident Physical Health, what about more concealed Mental Health, Emotional Health, Spiritual Health, Social Health, Intellectual Health – isn’t all that essential to a state of well being? But does that mean “Health” is the absence of any and all (perceived) problems and concerns – would then “Health” be synonymous with Happiness? Even reduced to Physical Health there is a wide spectrum of ambiguity, if you feel tired or fatigued – are you sick or are you healthy? Is weight gain a disease or just a sign of hedonism? Are you ill because you need reading glasses? What about wrinkles and sagging skin – is aging a disease? This thought open a Pandora’s box: what is the normal rate of aging – where is – and who is the authority for setting the benchmark for “normal”?

Researchers at Rice University have tried to define the parameters for measuring Health. They conclude that Health is measured in terms of

l) absence of physical pain, physical disability, or a condition that is likely to cause death

2) emotional well-being, and

3) satisfactory social functioning.

But they admit that there is no single standard of measurement of health status of Individuals or Groups, which may be assessed by an observer. It follows that “Health” assessed in this way is relative and subjective, while what we really want to know is:

Am I absolutely Healthy? – objectively measured, not subjectively assumed by relative comparison with Others. We don’t compare our pain or disfigurement with the neighbors arthritis or cancer. Quite the opposite: we visualize and strive to look as young and slim as the person on the cover of a magazine. Such natural cravings are the very foundation of an ever growing Beauty and Anti-Aging industry, even in absence of objective standards.

That is exactly the point: if we can’t define Health but only Ill-health – we’ll never look like that Idol no matter what! Because if we measure our Health by its weaning, we’ll wait to act until we can define the symptoms, thereby depriving ourselves from gaining and sustaining utmost Vitality and stunning Appearance.

If we succeed in establishing a globally valid definition for absolute Health – we can actually begin to provide of real Health-care, that is caring for the preservation – or revival of the benchmark Health. As in this case, the understanding of the need to use Words with Meaning by adding Meaning to Words, may actually have a profound impact on our Society and spark a renaissance in Public and Individual Health.

References:

Rice University: Measurement of Health Status

Knowing how Healthy you are

Find More Mental Health Articles

« Natural Cures For Sore Throat | Pregnancy Journal – the Best Friend of a Pregnant Woman »