Health seems to be a very challenging word to encompass in one definition, given that everyone’s perspective of good health differs. Some focus on the absence of disease, some focus on physical well-being and others on their mental and emotional states. The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO, 2024). Although this definition is quite broad, it still doesn’t fit many peoples’ perspective of what health is.
Some of the main concerns with the WHO’s definition of health are the following: combining the aspect of health and happiness, not recognizing that some of these components conflict with one another, and defining health in such a positive way that it never feels attainable. (McCartney et al., 2019) To elaborate, it has been compared that having a disease may make you less happy, however, not having a disease does not mean that you are happy and healthy. Further to that, in terms of human rights, health is considered a universal right, but it is impossible for happiness to be, as it is solely subjective. (Saracci, 1997) When taking these factors into account, we can see that the WHO’s definition of health is not quite accurate, and not an ideal description. We also need to consider that the term “complete” in the WHO’s definition is what makes the statement feel unattainable. Many people may feel that they are in good health but are not in a perfect physical or mental condition.
In my opinion, the definition is going to be different for everyone, depending on their own perception of health. A description of health from The Meikirch Model of Health resonated with me. It states “Health occurs when individuals use their biologically given and personally acquired potentials to manage the demands of life in a way that promotes well-being”. They focus on individual determinants of health (demands of life, personally acquired potential, and biologically given potential), social determinants of health and environmental determinants of health. (Bircher & Kuruvilla, 2014) This perspective is all-encompassing and takes into consideration the many factors that influence ones overall health. It is also applicable to health care professionals and those in public health roles. There are certainly limitations to this perspective, such as these components not being specifically measurable, however, I feel it is more appropriate than the current WHO definition of health.
Reflecting on the definition of health has opened my eyes to how broad the term in. It is used in so many aspects - healthcare, public policy, human rights, and so on. It is important to have a definition what works for the term in all of these areas, so that we can use it interchangeably. I think we have a ways to go, but there are many positive conversations occurring around the term health - I am confident we'll get there!
References
Bircher, J., & Kuruvilla, S. (2014). Defining health by addressing individual, social, and environmental determinants: New opportunities for health care and public health. Journal of Public Health Policy, 35(3), 363–386. https://doi.org/10.1057/jphp.2014.19
McCartney, G., Popham, F., McMaster, R., & Cumbers, A. (2019). Defining health and health inequalities. Public health, 172, 22–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2019.03.023
Saracci, R. (1997). The World Health Organisation needs to reconsider its definition of health. BMJ, 314(7091), 1409–1409. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.314.7091.1409
World Health Organization. (2024a). Constitution of the World Health Organization. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/about/accountability/governance/constitution
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