The definition of health describes the way we feel physically, mentally and socially and being free from any illness or injury. Health is not an easy term to define as for some people it includes mental health and for others it just involves physical health and these two are very different.
The term ‘Illness’ refers to the way in which disease is experienced. Characteristics of a person with good health include a working immune system, good complexion, high energy, good communication, positive mood and mental state. Poor health will be basically the opposite, with being unwell frequently, mental illness, weight issues, poor complexion or substance abuse.
The definition of illness is when you have a condition or feeling that isn’t normal
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Health and mental health is not just defined within the medical context, it can also be defined by the person and the persons family and social networks. This is one of the main reasons the terms are hard to define as the definitions may vary from culture to culture. The three main categories are physical appearance, emotional disposition and behaviour. Some people believe that there are no symptoms then there is no disease. Other cultures believe that physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing are the three most important things for good health.
Sociologists think that a society depends on health people and being able to control illness. A man named Talcott Parsons identified what he called the sick role. He meant to describe the behaviour towards the sick person and the behaviour of the sick person. Parsons identified four roles of the sick role:
- Not held responsible for being sick
- Not responsible for normal duties
- Not supposed to like the role
- Supposed to seek help to get out of the role
In a society, people who are acting sick will get sympathy. If people do not act sick or ask for any help they will lose the sympathy they were getting.
Some people believe that you can only determine whether you are ill or not by science. A good example is some people only class diseases as legitimate if they have a common scientific diagnosis such as cancer or heart disease. These people are likely to slow less sympathy if someone is
In 1946 the World Health Organisation (WHO) defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. This definition integrates the main concepts of health and identifies that health can be viewed differently by individuals and groups (Bowden, 2006). Health and well-being are the result of a combination of physical, social, intellectual and emotional factors (Dunkley, 2000a).
Under the medical model, health is defined as a complete state of physical, mental, and social well-being, and not just the absence of disease or infirmity.
The definition of health is the state of being free from illness and injury, it can also be used to explain a person’s mental or physical condition.
In my opinion health is a state of mind and to be ill is having a physical or mental sensation of being unwell.
With there being such a plethora of cultures in the world, there are so many different beliefs and practices involving health and wellness, that almost everyone has a different definition of health, and different views on disease and illness in general. My definition of health involves many different aspects, but most importantly living a healthy lifestyle overall; being free from illness, and doing everything possible to stay that way. Eating a well-balanced diet, exercising regularly, and getting plenty of sleep along with protecting your
By looking at what different people say about health, it is clear that each one look at it differently. Therefore, there are many ways to define health. When we look at health, all physical, intellectual, emotional and social aspects should be considered because they all affect our health equally. Health can be defined in many ways, positively, negatively and holistically. It depends on how the individuals look at their health and how concerned they are about it. Our state of healthiness will depend on many things such as where do we live, what job do we do, what do we eat, who are our friends and everything else related to our lifestyle. Our choice about our lifestyle can make a difference to our health. If we are interested enough in ourselves, we can improve our own health. Some people think, that it depends only on the health care we obtain; however, it doesn't only depend on this. It is connected to our lifestyle as well.
In modern society there is a general consensus that ‘good health’ is something that everyone wants to experience and that each individual knows what this involves. Because there are so many different definitions of health and ill health it can become a very complicated concept. Walsh (2011) states that “In sociological terms ‘health’ and ‘illness’ are contested concepts. This means that the general meaning of these words should not be taken for granted.
According to the dictionary, the word health is “the state of being free from illness.” At a first glance, this defination seems to be very direct and simple, however the meaning of the word ‘health’ nowadays is much more complex. The above definition pretty much sums up our view of health in the first half of the 20th century.
For example if you look at a 5ft 4 woman at 10 stone could been classed as having a healthy weight however if you have a 6foot male weighing 10 stone this would be classed as an unhealthy weight. This can apply to the individual who says they feel unwell could be that they have a few aches and pains however a terminally ill patient could state that they feel well as they may not be aching or in pain at that moment, when in fact they are still dying. “Illness is a disease or period of sickness affecting the body or mind” (Oxford dictionaries, 2015) Some individual’s may not be aware that they are unwell, so in this aspect, illness could be subjective. This could be an undiagnosed cancer patient that is currently not suffering from any of the side effects from the illness, yet they would be classed as being unhealthy as in fact they have cancer.
Health means to me a person's physical, mental/emotional and social well being. At the beginning of the summer health meant to me a person who is not ill or injured. What has changed from the my definition at the beginning of the summer to now is that I have taken into account more than the physical factor of someone's health. Mental/emotional health and social health are also key factors. All these factors make up a person’s wellness and that is the overlying thing that is important.
Health can define in many different ways. Dr Roslyn Franklin defines health as “A multilayered social and ecological phenomenon created in the context of community life. (Dr. Franklin. R, C 2016) The dimensions of health include physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual and social health. During the first week our reflections included what we believed being healthy meant. I listed enjoying being the ideal weight for my height, participating in regular exercise and eating the right foods. This is how I defined being healthy. Through our PHP, nutrition, physical activity, relationships and
Health is not limited to a physical illness that can be cured or alleviated but must encompass the entire individual. It includes spiritual, emotional, social, mental and physical aspects of the individual. All of these areas must be assessed and evaluated when caring or a patient and their families (Chitty, 2007, p. 303).
Illness is a process in which the functioning of a person is diminished when compared with the person’s previous condition. The ability to interact successfully with people and within the environment.
Many people know what it feels like to be sick, but do they know what an illness is? Do they realize the deeper meaning? Illness is a frequently used word that by dictionary definition means, “A disease or period of sickness affecting the body or mind.” This definition may be accurate, but people suffering from illnesses know there is so much more to it. It is like an emotional roller coaster providing several challenges that must be fought through and unfortunately, some people’s journeys do not have as happy endings as others.
Health can be described as one of the most important things that you need in your life to able to lead a happy life even more so than money. You could be poor, but still be happy because you have your health, but what exactly is health? Most people would say that health is about being a healthy weight, not having a disease but , health is something much more deeper than those simple definitions. Health is about homeostasis, specifically in three important areas. To have good health, you have to be balanced in physical, mentally and social well-being.