Like many, I was shocked to learn that health was defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948. Since then, health and medicine has evolved and changed so much, so why hasn't the definition of health? If we based our definition of health on that of the WHO, would anyone be considered healthy? I think it is time that we redefine health from something as unattainable as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being" (World Health Organization, 1948), to something more adaptive and fluid that include "shifting forces that shape the wellbeing of individuals and populations" (The Lancet, 2009). Health is not linear. It rises and falls and adapts to a person's environment and situation. It is not possible for a person to be 'healthy' by the traditional definition forever. People go through struggles. They suffer through chronic diseases, acute sickness and the ups and downs of mental illness. It is time to change the idea that people are not healthy if they have struggles and illnesses.
So if the WHO definition is not what defines health now, then what is? Straight Up Health, a youtube channel, describes it perfectly. Health is about balance. While each of the physical, mental and social health components are important on their own, it is important to note that they influence one another and "all aspects should be considered in practice" (Putera, I., 2017). Health is a balancing act and it is ever-changing. With an aging population, it is impossible to be without any ailments or chronic conditions (Putera, I., 2017). Health should be about the ability to thrive despite these ailments. The ability to live life to the fullest while keeping your chronic conditions effectively treated.
While we know that the WHO definition is really no longer applicable in today's society, it is still evident that "health is a somewhat nebulous condition and somewhat difficult to define." (Encyclopaedia Brittanica, 1998). While we know that it is near impossible to be healthy by the WHO standards, it is also hard to define health without those standards. Above all else, health, to me anyway, is the ability to have a good quality of life, with or without any illness, ailments, conditions or diseases. To me, the ability to thrive and treat those conditions is more important than being defined by those conditions.
Resources
Encyclopaedia Brittanica. (1998). Health. https://www.britannica.com/topic/health
Putera, I. (2017, March 2). Redefining Health: Implication for Value-Based Healthcare Reform. Cureus 9(3): e1067. https://www.cureus.com/articles/6578-redefining-health-implication-for-value-based-healthcare-reform
Straight Up Health. (2021, June 28). What is Health? | Components of Health [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDY0EYk1FdQ
The Lancet. (2009). What is health? The ability to adapt. The Lancet, 373(9666), 781. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60456-6
World Health Organziation. (1946). Constitution of the World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/gb/bd/PDF/bd47/EN/constitution-en.pdf?ua=1
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