Health is a very complex and broad subject, and I have to say I am thankful that I am not one responsible for defining it! The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a "state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity", (Huber, M. 2011) but who decides what this looks like? As each human being differs in genetics, socioeconomic status, lifestyle, access to resources etc., it becomes difficult to create a definition completely suitable for every individual.
The WHO uses the dangerous word "complete" in their definition, and I am not sure how that could be accomplished with each individual it pertains to. If I were to stub my toe and lose a nail, according to WHO, would I suddenly become incomplete physically? I do not believe a missing toe nail would categorize me as an unhealthy individual. If I were to lose my dog of 12 years and become emotional and saddened for the time being, I would not be 100% mentally stable, but again, I would not consider myself an unhealthy person.
The achievement of one's health is moving towards education, prevention and the ability for one to adapt and manage their own health situations. Health literacy is "the degree to which an individual has the capacity to obtain, communicate, process, and understand basic health information and services to make appropriate health decisions.” (Jones, M., 2018). Health care professionals can greatly assist with health promotion while an individual is in their care, but it is ultimately up to the individual to carry out their own health needs during their day to day life. Education and awareness can greatly influence individuals to make better choices and perhaps participate in healthy activities.
I can't think of a single individual in my life that, according to the 1948 WHO definition, is completely healthy. I am not convinced that anyone in the world would be healthy using that definition, because no one is perfect, or identical. An article by Brook, R. H., talks about the social and mental aspects of health, and how influential it can be to our overall well-being. With the excessive use of social media, I myself have witnessed many cases of bullying, discrimination, and overall negativity that is constantly increasing in the online world. "Hate is both deadly and contagious. Now is the time to engage the medical profession in eradicating it." (Brook, R. H., 2017). I do believe that the lack of acceptance and feelings of hatred can significantly impact individuals (whether they are receiving or delivering these feelings), but I don't believe one single negative thought, causing one to stray from the "complete" aspect, would render someone unhealthy. I do however agree that one's mental state and well-being should be incorporated into a new definition of health.
The complexity of health requires many factors to be considered when trying to define it. I personally believe we took big steps as a society when turning our focus to promotion and education. Improving working and learning environments through safety and policies, and assisting children with proper development, habits and learning coping skills at a young age are two great examples of promoting future health and well-being. As health continues to progress, along with a well-thought out definition of health, developing a framework to include multiple factors influencing one's health may be beneficial. A great example of this is a framework outlined in an article by Glouberman, S., & Millar, J. (2003), which allows a society to assess or analyze the current state of health among Canadians. This framework consists of categories: health status, determinants of health, health system performance and community and health system characteristics.
Including as many influential factors as possible to ones health, will assist us in discovering a complex yet hopefully accurate definition of ones health.
Brook. R. H. (2017). Should the definition of health include a measure of tolerance? JAMA, 317 (6), 585-586. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.14372
Glouberman, S., & Millar, J. (2003). Evolution of the determinants of health, health policy, and health information systems in Canada. American Journal of Public Health (93)3, 388-392. doi:10.2105/AJPH.93.3.388
Huber, M. (2011). Health: How should we define it? British Medical Journal, 343,(7817), 235-237. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d4163
Jones, M. L. (2018). Addressing the Social Determinants of Health is Essential to Ensuring Positive Patient Outcomes! Mississippi RN, 80(4), 10–12. Retrieved Feb 10, 2019 from http://0-search.ebscohost.com.aupac.lib.athabascau.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=133422100&site=eds-live
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