importance of health

IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH

“Health” is a word that describes a state of total physical and emotional well-being. The goal of healthcare is to help people to maintain a state of good health.

The United States government spent no less than $3.2 trillion on healthcare in 2015.

But despite the heavy expenditure, a 2013 study by the United States National Research Council found that many Americans die at a younger age and are more prone to injury and illness at a younger age compared to people in other developed nations.

With good health, you’ll be better able to handle stress and live an active and long life.

What is health?

The 1948 definition of health as given by the World Health Organization is:

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” WHO, 1948.

This definition is still in use today.

WHO, in 1986 clarified that health is:

“A resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities.”

This implies that health helps an individual to function optimally in the society. With a healthful lifestyle, you are sure of living life to the fullest.

The recent definition of health as given by researchers is the “ability of the human body to adapt to infirmities and threats.” This is based on the idea that modern science has made humans more aware of existing diseases and their mode of action in the last few decades.

Types of health

The most commonly discussed types of health are physical and mental health. There’s also “emotional health,” “spiritual health,” & “financial health.” These have been associated with low levels of stress, as well as physical and mental well-being.

Physical health

A person who has good physical health has all of his or her body functions working at optimal capacity. This happens because he or she is not sick, and also due to balanced nutrition, regular exercise, and rest. When the person falls ill, it means that balance has been distorted. At this point, treatment is needed to maintain the balance.

Physical well-being involves leading a healthy lifestyle such that the risk of ailments is drastically reduced. Being physically fit, for instance, can enhance a person’s heart function and breathing capabilities, flexibility, body composition, and muscular strength.

Physical well-being also minimizes the risk of a health issue or an injury. For instance, reducing hazards in your place of work, practicing safe sex, good hygiene, not using tobacco, illegal drugs, or alcohol.

Mental health

When we say mental health, we mean a person’s social, psychological, and emotional well-being. The importance of mental health cannot be overemphasized. It is as important as physical health.

Mental health is a bit harder to define as compared to physical health because in most cases, the diagnosis is highly dependent on how the affected person perceives their experience. However, with genetic testing and CT scan, signs of certain mental illnesses are becoming “more visible.”

Mental health does not only refer to the absence of anxiety, depression, or any other disorder.

It is also a function of the individual to:

• Live and enjoy life to the fullest
• Achieve balance
• Recover after having nasty experiences
• Adapting to diversity
• Feeling secure and safe
• Maximizing his or her potentials

There’s a connection between physical health and mental health. If a person is sick and unable to perform his or her daily tasks, it could to stress and depression, for instance, due to financial problems.

Mental illnesses such as anorexia nervosa or depression can affect body function and body weight.

Health is better approached as a “whole,” instead of its different types.

Why is it important to remain in health?

When your body is free from infections and diseases, then you can boast of being in good health.

When we pay a visit to our loved ones at a health facility, we realize the pain caused by bad health.

Good health is very important for those who wish to live a sick-free life.

Some people believe that good health is a function of the amount of money they have in their bank account, how rich their food is, etc. but that’s not true. 

What’s the right way to live healthily?

What we eat determines how healthy our body is.

Look around you and you can see that there’s been an increase in the production of canned foods and heavily processed foods. Eating these foods causes a lot of health issues.

Adopting the following tips will help you to stay in health:

• Eat healthily
• Exercise regularly. Regular exercise helps prevent stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic ailments.
• If you are overweight, work towards reducing your weight
• Practice safe sex
• Avoid smoking or using tobacco
• Drink alcohol in moderate amount