What Is Health? Types Factors For Good Health Preserving Health

What is good health?
 What is health?
 Types
 Factors for good health
 Preserving health
The word health refers to a state of complete
emotional and physical well-being.
Healthcare exists to help people maintain
this optimal state of health.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),

healthcare costs in the United States were $3.5 trillionTrusted
Source in 2017.
However, despite this expenditure, people in the U.S. have a lower

life expectancy than people in other developed countries. This is due
to a variety of factors, including access to healthcare and lifestyle
choices.
Good health is central to handling stress and living a longer, more

active life. In this article, we explain the meaning of good health, the
types of health a person needs to consider, and how to preserve good
health.
What is health?
Regular exercise contributes to good health.
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In 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO)Trusted

Source defined health with a phrase that modern authorities still
apply.
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social

well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
In 1986, the WHOTrusted Source made further clarifications:

“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 means that health is a resource to support an individual’s

function in wider society, rather than an end in itself. A healthful
lifestyle provides the means to lead a full life with meaning and
purpose.
In 2009, researchers publishing inThe LancetTrusted Source defined

health as the ability of a body to adapt to new threats and infirmities.
They base this definition on the idea that the past few decades have
seen modern science take significant strides in the awareness of
diseases by understanding how they work, discovering new ways to
slow or stop them, and acknowledging that an absence of pathology
may not be possible.
Types
Mental and physical health are probably the two most frequently
discussed types of health.
Spiritual, emotional, and financial health also contribute to overall

health. Medical experts have linked these to lower stress levels and
improved mental and physical well-being.
People with better financial health, for example, may worry less about
finances and have the means to buy fresh food more regularly. Those
with good spiritual health may feel a sense of calm and purpose that
fuels good mental health.
Health inequities affect all of us differently. Visit our dedicated hub for
an in-depth look at social disparities in health and what we can do to
correct them.
Physical health
A person who has good physical health is likely to have bodily

functions and processes working at their peak.
This is not only due not only to an absence of disease. Regular

exercise, balanced nutrition, and adequate rest all contribute to good
health. People receive medical treatment to maintain the balance,
when necessary.
Physical well-being involves pursuing a healthful lifestyle to decrease

the risk of disease. Maintaining physical fitness, for example, can
protect and develop the endurance of a person’s breathing and heart
function, muscular strength, flexibility, and body composition.
Looking after physical health and well-being also involves reducing

the risk of an injury or health issue, such as:
 minimizing hazards in the workplace

 using contraception when having sex
 practicing effective hygiene
 avoiding the use of tobacco, alcohol, or illegal drugs
 taking the recommended vaccines for a specific condition or
country when traveling
Good physical health can work in tandem with mental health to

improve a person’s overall quality of life.
For example, mental illness, such as depression, may increase the
risk of drug use disorders, according to a 2008 studyTrusted Source.
This can go on to adversely affect physical health.
Mental health
According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human

Services, mental health refers to a person’s emotional, social, and
psychological well-being. Mental health is as important as physical
health as part of a full, active lifestyle.
It is harder to define mental health than physical health because many

psychological diagnoses depend on an individual’s perception of their
experience.
With improvements in testing, however, doctors are now able to

identify some physical signs of some types of mental illness in CT
scans and genetic tests.
Good mental health is not only categorized by the absence

of depression, anxiety, or another disorder. It also depends on a
person’s ability to:
 enjoy life
 bounce back after difficult experiences and adapt to adversity
 balance different elements of life, such as family and finances
 feel safe and secure
 achieve their full potential
Physical and mental health have strong connections. For example, if

a chronic illness affects a person’s ability to complete their regular
tasks, it may lead to depression and stress. These feelings could be
due to financial problems or mobility issues.
A mental illness, such as depression or anorexia, can affect body
weight and overall function.
It is important to approach “health” as a whole, rather than as a series

of separate factors. All types of health are linked, and people should
aim for overall well-being and balance as the keys to good health.
Find out how you can remain healthy here.
Factors for good health

Good health depends on a wide range of factors.
Genetic factors
A person is born with a variety of genes. In some people, an unusual

genetic pattern or change can lead to a less-than-optimum level of
health. People may inherit genes from their parents that increase their
risk for certain health conditions.
Environmental factors
Environmental factors play a role in health. Sometimes, the

environment alone is enough to impact health. Other times, an
environmental trigger can cause illness in a person who has an
increased genetic risk of a particular disease.
Access to healthcare plays a role, but the WHO suggest that the
following factors may have a more significant impact on health than
this:
 where a person lives

 the state of the surrounding environment
 genetics
 their income
 their level of education
 employment status
It is possible to categorize these as follows:
 The social and economic environment: This may include the

financial status of a family or community, as well as the social
culture and quality of relationships.
 The physical environment: This includes which germs exist in
an area, as well as pollution levels.
 A person’s characteristics and behaviors: A person’s
genetic makeup and lifestyle choices can affect their overall
health.
According to some studies, the higher a person’s socioeconomic

status (SES), the more likelyTrusted Source they are to enjoy good
health, have a good education, get a well-paid job, and afford good
healthcare in times of illness or injury.
They also maintain that people with low socioeconomic status are
more likely to experience stress due to daily living, such as financial
difficulties, marital disruption, and unemployment.
Social factors may also impact on the risk of poor health for people
with lower SES, such as marginalization and discrimination.
A low SES often means reduced access to healthcare. A 2018 study

in Frontiers in PharmacologyTrusted Source indicated that people in
developed countries with universal healthcare services have longer
life expectancies than those in developed countries without universal
healthcare.
Cultural issues can affect health. The traditions and customs of a
society and a family’s response to them can have a good or bad
impact on health.
According to the Seven Countries Study, researchers studied people

in select European countries and found that those who ate a healthful
diet had a lower 20-year death rate.
The study indicated that people who ate a healthful diet are more
likely to consume high levels of fruits, vegetables, and olives than
people who regularly consume fast food.
The study also found that people who followed the Mediterranean
diet had a lower 10-year all-cause mortality rate. According to
the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public
HealthTrusted Source, this diet can help protect a person’s heart and
reduce the risk of several diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cancer,
and diseases that cause the brain and nerves to break down.
How a person manages stress will also affect their health. According
to the National Institute of Mental Health, people who smoke tobacco,
drink alcohol, or take illicit drugs to manage stressful situations are
more likely to develop health problems than those who manage stress
through a healthful diet, relaxation techniques, and exercise.
Preserving health
The best way to maintain health is to preserve it through a healthful
lifestyle rather than waiting until sickness or infirmity to address health
problems. People use the name wellness to describe this continuous
state of enhanced well-being.
The WHOTrusted Source define wellness as follows:

“Wellness is the optimal state of health of individuals and
groups. There are two focal concerns: the realization of the
fullest potential of an individual physically, psychologically,
socially, spiritually, and economically, and the fulfillment of
one’s roles and expectations in the family, community, place of
worship, and other settings.”
Wellness promotes active awareness of and participating in measures

that preserve health, both as an individual and in the community.
Maintaining wellness and optimal health is a lifelong, daily
commitment.
Steps that can help people attain wellness include:
 eating a balanced, nutritious diet from as many natural sources

as possible
 engaging in at least 150 minutes of moderate to high-intensity
exercise every week, according to the American Heart
Association
 screening for diseases that may present a risk
 learning to manage stress effectively
 engaging in activities that provide purpose
 connecting with and caring for other people
 maintaining a positive outlook on life
 defining a value system and putting it into action
The definition of peak health is highly individual, as are the steps a

person may take to get there. Every person has different health goals
and a variety of ways to achieve them.
It may not be possible to avoid disease altogether. However, a person

should do as much as they can to develop resilience and prepare the
body and mind to deal with illnesses as they arise.
Learn how you can lose weight here.

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What is good health?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),

However, despite this expenditure, people in the U.S. have a lower

Good health is central to handling stress and living a longer, more

In 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO)Trusted

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social

In 1986, the WHOTrusted Source made further clarifications:

This means that health is a resource to support an individual’s

In 2009, researchers publishing inThe LancetTrusted Source defined

Spiritual, emotional, and financial health also contribute to overall

A person who has good physical health is likely to have bodily

This is not only due not only to an absence of disease. Regular

Physical well-being involves pursuing a healthful lifestyle to decrease

Looking after physical health and well-being also involves reducing

 minimizing hazards in the workplace

Good physical health can work in tandem with mental health to

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human

It is harder to define mental health than physical health because many

With improvements in testing, however, doctors are now able to

Good mental health is not only categorized by the absence

Physical and mental health have strong connections. For example, if

It is important to approach “health” as a whole, rather than as a series

Find out how you can remain healthy here.

Factors for good health

A person is born with a variety of genes. In some people, an unusual

Environmental factors play a role in health. Sometimes, the

 where a person lives

It is possible to categorize these as follows:

 The social and economic environment: This may include the

According to some studies, the higher a person’s socioeconomic

A low SES often means reduced access to healthcare. A 2018 study

According to the Seven Countries Study, researchers studied people

The WHOTrusted Source define wellness as follows:

Wellness promotes active awareness of and participating in measures

Steps that can help people attain wellness include:

 eating a balanced, nutritious diet from as many natural sources

The definition of peak health is highly individual, as are the steps a

It may not be possible to avoid disease altogether. However, a person

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