Unit 5: Lesson 1: Health

Lesson 1: Health

What do you do to be healthy? Most of us do at least a few daily things to stay healthy. We may wash our hands, take vitamins, or use our seatbelts when riding in a motor vehicle. We may engage in 'healthy' behaviors because they are habits or because we are told to do them, but we also know that reducing our risk of disease and illness is good when possible. In this unit, we'll consider some of our methods to live healthier lives.

Health is sometimes defined as freedom from injury, illness, and disease. However, when we consider this study area, we find that this definition only covers part of what we think about when we think about 'health.' The World Health Organization (WHO) defines Health as 'a complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.' Health is generally thought to encompass several different dimensions:

• Physical Health. This is the dimension of Health we most often consider when considering Health and wellness. Physical Health includes our susceptibility to disease and chronic illness, body functioning, recovery from injuries or illnesses, and physical fitness.
• Intellectual Health. This health area concerns our ability to think clearly and effectively, reason, and analyze information. It can also include considering consequences and learning from past mistakes.
• Emotional Health. This refers to the ability to express emotions appropriately and the ability to control emotions. Self-esteem and self-confidence are part of emotional Health, as are trust and love.
• Social Health. This dimension of Health encompasses our relationships with other people. It also includes our ability to adapt to the situations around us, behave appropriately in different situations, and have fulfilling relationships.
• Spiritual Health. This dimension of Health can relate to a belief in a higher power and finding meaning in life with or without relation to a higher power.

When we look at Health as made up of these dimensions, we begin to see that Health is much more made up of these, whether we are sick or not.

Today, many individuals, including science professionals, believe that the best way to approach Health is through a holistic approach. A holistic approach emphasizes the balance and integration of all dimensions of Health. Practitioners believe this is the best way to encourage optimal Health in each person.

Think about what it would be like if you focused on only one dimension of Health. For example, you might lift weights for hours daily to build your physical strength. However, the time spent in that pursuit might detract from your relationships with friends and family. In addition, focusing on this aspect of physical Health might have unhealthy effects on other areas of your Health, such as nutrition or injuries from lifting weights too much.

As the holistic approach began gaining ground, the idea of wellness came to capture the varying levels of Health within each health dimension. In other words, health science professionals saw that Health existed on a continuum from optimal wellness to signs of illness to irreversible damage, and individuals fall along this line in each health dimension. The term wellness is often used to describe reaching one's optimal wellness or Health in each health dimension.