Related topics: children , women , physical activity , health care , health insurance
Health
hideAt the time of the creation of the World Health Organization (WHO), in 1948, Health was defined as being "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity".
This definition invited nations to expand the conceptual framework of their health systems beyond issues related to the physical condition of individuals and their diseases, and it motivated us to focus our attention on what we now call social determinants of health. Consequently, WHO challenged political, academic, community, and professional organisations devoted to improving or preserving health to make the scope of their work explicit, including their rationale for allocating resources. This opened the door for public accountability [3].
Only a handful of publications have focused specifically on the definition of health and its evolution in the first 6 decades. Some of them highlight its lack of operational value and the problem created by use of the word "complete." Others declare the definition, which has not been modified since 1948, "simply a bad one." [4]. More recently, Smith suggested that it is "a ludicrous definition that would leave most of us unhealthy most of the time." [5].
In 1986, the WHO, in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, said 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." Classification systems such as the WHO Family of International Classifications (WHO-FIC), which is composed of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) also define health.
Overall health is achieved through a combination of physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being, which, together is commonly referred to as the Health Triangle.
For more information about Health, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with health
Fit teenage boys are smarter, but muscle strength isn't the secret
Dec 07, 2009 |
5 / 5 (5) |
0
In the first study to demonstrate a clear positive association between adolescent fitness and adult cognitive performance, Nancy Pedersen of the University of Southern California and colleagues in Sweden find that better ...
Rate of autism disorders climbs to 1 percent among 8-year-olds
Dec 18, 2009 |
not rated yet |
13
Autism and related development disorders are becoming more common, with a prevalence rate approaching 1 percent among American 8-year-olds, according to new data from researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham ...
Want to live well? Harvard experts offer pragmatic pointers on getting healthy and staying there
Dec 17, 2009 |
3.9 / 5 (13) |
3
You are what you eat. You're also how you feel, how you exercise, how you sleep, how you handle money, how you relate to people, and what you value.
Study shows health care spending spurs economic growth
Dec 14, 2009 |
4 / 5 (2) |
3
As the national discussion of health care focuses on costs, a new study from North Carolina State University shows that it might be more accurate to think of health care spending as an investment that can spur economic growth. ...
Study finds over 90 percent of people with gum disease are at risk for diabetes
Dec 14, 2009 |
3 / 5 (3) |
1
The study, led by Dr. Shiela Strauss, Associate Professor of Nursing and Co-Director of the Statistics and Data Management Core for NYU's Colleges of Dentistry and Nursing, examined data from 2,923 adult participants in the ...
Grinch likely depressed, suffers from lack of love, joy, expert says (w/ Video)
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Dec 08, 2009 |
5 / 5 (6) |
3
(PhysOrg.com) -- Being irritable, grumpy and seeking social isolation are also hallmarks of depression, and could explain the Grinch's disdain for the Who -- the tall and the small -- his mistreatment of his dog Max and, ...
Toxic chemicals found in a third of children's toys: study
Dec 02, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
A third of the most popular children's toys in the United States this year contain harmful chemicals including lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury, a US consumer group said Wednesday.
Soy peptide lunasin has anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory properties
Dec 02, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Two new University of Illinois studies report that lunasin, a soy peptide often discarded in the waste streams of soy-processing plants, may have important health benefits that include fighting leukemia and blocking the inflammation ...
Heavy metal paradox could point toward new therapy for Lou Gehrig's disease
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Nov 30, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (2) |
0
New discoveries have been made about how an elevated level of lead, which is a neurotoxic heavy metal, can slow the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease - findings that could point the way ...
Cellphone powers back pain chip in Taiwan
Nov 27, 2009 |
4.3 / 5 (3) |
0
Taiwanese researchers have developed a chip to treat backpain that is powered by mobile phone, a member of the team said Friday.
High salt intake directly linked to stroke and cardiovascular disease
Nov 24, 2009 |
4.6 / 5 (5) |
1
High salt intake is associated with significantly greater risk of both stroke and cardiovascular disease, concludes a study published in the BMJ today.
Six bad reactions to swine flu vaccine in Canada: official (Update)
Medicine & Health / Medications
Nov 24, 2009 |
3.3 / 5 (7) |
4
Six severe allergic reactions to swine flu vaccinations have been observed in Canada, health authorities said Tuesday, adding that all of the individuals are feeling better.
Mutation found in swine flu virus: WHO
Nov 20, 2009 |
3.3 / 5 (3) |
0
The World Health Organisation said Friday that a mutation had been found in samples of the swine flu virus taken following the first two deaths from the pandemic in Norway.
Therapy 32 times more cost effective at increasing happiness than money
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Nov 20, 2009 |
2.8 / 5 (6) |
3
(PhysOrg.com) -- Research by the University of Warwick and the University of Manchester finds that psychological therapy could be 32 times more cost effective at making you happy than simply obtaining more money. The research ...
Cigarettes harbor many pathogenic bacteria: Study
Nov 19, 2009 |
3.7 / 5 (6) |
7
Cigarettes are "widely contaminated" with bacteria, including some known to cause disease in people, concludes a new international study conducted by a University of Maryland environmental health researcher ...
