Health is an integral component of human life. It encompasses our emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing and serves as the cornerstone for managing stress. Being healthy is central to reaching one’s potential and living a long and fruitful life; yet its complexity makes it hard to grasp. There is a wide array of perspectives regarding what constitutes good health that differ depending on one’s cultural or social environment in which their definition was formed.
A popular definition of health offered by the World Health Organization is: “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing rather than simply the absence of disease or infirmity.” Unfortunately this view can be limited as it doesn’t account for people managing their illness successfully and doesn’t take into account how symptoms of certain illnesses cannot easily be measured through tests.
Scholars have proposed alternative definitions of health. These approaches employ a more dynamic, process-oriented framework that takes into account the biopsychosocial model. Such definitions view the body as an interdependent system with each part contributing towards producing its function; health is thus seen as an infinite continuum that ranges from wellness and optimal functioning at one end to illness and suffering at the other end.
Health is not a static concept; rather it varies over time. Medical advances may improve someone’s health; however this improvement could be offset by factors out of their control – for instance socioeconomic status of their country/community and availability of affordable healthcare and nutritional food options.
Health should be seen as an ongoing process that is nurtured and maintained through daily choices and activities, such as diet, regular exercise, sleep hygiene and the avoidance of unhealthful behaviors. All are integral components to maintaining optimal levels of wellness.
As you write an essay about Health, keep in mind that readers want useful knowledge they can put to use immediately in their everyday lives. They expect a natural tone from you as the writer; an artificial or condescending approach won’t go over well with them. Furthermore, readers often dismiss miracle cure plans or advice which claim something as the “silver bullet” to improving health as pseudoscientific. This is especially true with digital content where using technical language may indicate ignorance or incompetence on behalf of the writer.
