The Concept of Health

We are all familiar with the term "health". What does his term mean'? Let us consider the definition of health proposed by the World Health Organisation (WHO):

"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

This definition tells us that health is a positive state. In other words, health is a state of complete well-being and not just the absence of disease. A person may not be suffering from any disease and yet may not enjoy complete well-being. There are so many times when we feel tired or exhausted and incapable of  concentrating on our work. At such times we are not enjoying complete well-being, even though at other  times we do. There are also times when we suffer from an infection or periods of ill health. This means no person enjoys full health all the time. However, we call a person healthy if he or she enjoys good health most of the time.

One dimension which is also gaining prominence is spiritual health. You would notice that this dimension is not mentioned in the definition. This is a newer dimension which is gaining recognition though it is still not precisely defined.

Let us now examine each of these different dimensions of  health.

Physical Health

The physical dimension of health is familiar to us. When we say a person is healthy. we are generally referring to this aspect. Physical health is easy to detect and  describe. A person is physically healthy if he or she looks alert. is responsive. energetic and vigorous. Below Table  lists some of the signs whereby a person in good -

physical health can be  identified 

Source : Adapted from Table  in Essentials of Nutrition and Diet Therapy by Sue R. Williams, 4th ed.( 1986) 

Mental Health

• Mental health implies
• Freedom from internal conflicts
• No consistent tendency to condemn or pity oneself
• A good capacity to adjust to situations and people
• Sensitivity to the emotional needs of others
• Capacity to deal with other individuals with consideration and courtesy
• Good control over one's own emotions without constantly giving in to strong'feelings of fear, jealousy. anger or guilt.

You would have released that mental health is a more complex concept than physical health, It is much more difficult to measure. Though we can usually recognize the extreme cases of mental ill health rather easily, it is difficult to categorize individuals who are normal in other ways but may have a problem understanding another person's viewpoint or being sensitive to the emotional needs of.others. Such problems if they are sufficiently serious and persistent would definitely be indicative of poor mental health.

The interrelationship between physical and mental health can be explored with the help of, specific examples. High blood pressure is one form of physical ill health. It can be caused by constant stress and poor ability to handle difficult situations (particularly if the individual already has a tendency to'develop high blood pressure).

Ttiis is an example of how mental ill health can cause physical ill health. The reverse can also happen! Physical ill health can also lead to mental ill health. A child who suffered from polio and cannot run or play feels inferior to other children. This may lead him to be dominated by feelings of fear or self pity. Such feelings may constantly trouble him and prevent him from interacting in a normal fashion with others.

Social Health

What is social health? If an individual recognizes that he/ she belongs to a family and  is'able to identify with a wider community. the first step towards social health has -been taken. An individual who recognizes his/ her obligations towards other members of society and is able to relate to other people around him/ her can be described as socially healthy.

It is impossible to realize the goal of social health if mental health has not been achieved. Any type of mental ill health will adversely influence interaction with others and therefore diminish one's ability to be a useful member of society. Similarly. a person who does not enjoy physical health would find it difficult to achieve social health. Physical ill health often-makes one irritable and depressed and unable to reach out to others normally. How does one recognize social ill health? Criminals are examples of socially ill individuals. They indulge in behavior that'is not socially acceptable and can be called anti-social. Theft, murder and destructive behavior are examples of antisocial behavior. Society actively controls such behavior since ignoring such acts  would destroy society itself.

Spiritual Health

Spiritual health is the most difficult to define. We, as Indians. probably understand spirituality more because in our society religious and moral codes of behavior are easily observable. A healthy individual obeys these moral codes most of the time. The concept of doing good and of not harming others; of believing in the basic

forces of goodness and justice whether or not these are worshiped as God; of recognizing the needs of others and trying to fulfill them; of commitment. duty and obligation, these are all characteristics of a spiritually well person. Spiritual health is certainly not easy to attain 

One must also emphasize that blindly following religious practices and customs does not necessarily make a person spiritually healthy. Spiritual health is 'more a matter of attitude's and a way of looking at situations and people. What is important is concern for others and a genuine desire to help and be of assistance.