Healthy Body: The Definition of Good Health
What is health? According to the World Health Organization, “health is a state of full life that includes physical, mental and emotional well-being.” Various definitions have been employed over time for various purposes. These include the general definition, which is associated with the concept of health as the absence of illness or disease; the classical definition, which views health as the result of one’s ability to live well and sustain independent existence; and the current definition, which emphasizes the connection between health and the well-being of people. In this paper, we briefly examine some of the connections between health and the well-being.
Health, according to the third definition, is the absence of sickness or disease. For most people, this definition is linked with the idea that disease only affects the body. Although disease may be an aspect of this definition, the third definition leaves the option open for an illness or disease to affect other areas of the body, in addition to the body. A recent study sheds light on this matter by showing that almost half ( 45 percent ) of adults in developed countries can be regarded as healthy, despite having suffered from a chronic disease at some point in their lives.
The classical definition emphasizes the concept of health as the absence of disease. This definition emphasizes prevention and early detection of diseases. Prevention of diseases is always the ideal, but the definition provides tools for this. Good health is considered to be healthy nutrition, regular and safe physical activity, and a reasonable balance in the intake of different kinds of food and beverages. Healthy people are free from ill-health, and they do not suffer from a large number of diseases, as compared with people who are unhealthy. Cancer is not a part of the definition because cancer is considered to be a disease caused by a mutation of cells or tissues, and the presence of a mutation indicates that the cell has become abnormal.
The contemporary definition emphasizes prevention and early detection of diseases. It defines health as the absence of an abnormal situation or disease state. This is similar to the classical definition, but it emphasizes prevention rather than the treatment or cure of a disease state. Since this idea is very similar to the definitions of normal bodies, it can be concluded that it can also apply to a human’s health. The healthy body that is devoid of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and many other common diseases can be considered to be healthy in general, despite the absence of any abnormal situation.
There are many ways to measure health, and there are different approaches in assessing healthy bodies. An examination of diet and physical activities is an important way to assess health and its absence or presence. A healthy diet is a well-balanced one, and this means that the intake of food items with adequate amounts of nutrients, minerals, and proteins, together with avoiding those that are high in fat and sugar, should be taken into account. Regular physical activities are important for maintenance of good health, and these should be performed regularly, at least three times a week, and in a moderate intensity.
Cancer is probably the most difficult disease to define, because of its various forms and its elusive nature. Some forms of cancer are very aggressive, and treatment often involves surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. When a disease is highly aggressive, it is necessary to keep updated with medical news and developments. This definition of healthy includes prevention of disease, which includes regular screenings of general and community health, keeping abreast of information about new diseases and technologies that may lead to increased susceptibility to diseases, and taking part in health education and counseling.