Health is a key component of well-being and overall happiness. It is important to maintain good health to manage life’s many challenges, and it’s essential to have access to healthcare to prevent illness and disease when they occur. While some people are genetically predisposed to certain health issues, such as high blood pressure, others can make lifestyle changes to improve their chances of avoiding these conditions in the future. A number of factors can contribute to one’s health, including diet and exercise, social support systems, and the availability of medical services. While some of these factors, such as genetic makeup, are nearly impossible to alter, others, such as education and dietary habits, have been shown to influence a wide range of health outcomes.
The definition of health has varied over time and has often been influenced by political and economic interests. While some have advocated a narrow view of health that is defined solely by the absence of disease, this has not been widely adopted. Other definitions of health have emphasized the capability to achieve personal goals and satisfy needs. More recently, a social determinants of health approach has been popular, as it emphasizes that the origins of poor health are not simply biological or epidemiological but are also sociological and political.
Defining health as the achievement of an aspirational standard can lead to the exclusion of some individuals, and the disadvantage of a purely contextual definition is that causes of better or worse health within populations cannot be uncovered without comparison with a common standard. A broad definition of health allows for the inclusion of a wider array of determinants and makes it easier to incorporate the impact of a wide variety of interventions.
The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being, without distinction of race, colour, religion, sex, political or economic belief, or social status. All nations and all peoples have the responsibility to achieve this goal, by promoting and protecting the health and well-being of their populations.
Although there is no single definition of health that is universally accepted, most agree that good health includes both physical and emotional well-being. It is also the ability to function independently and to participate in society. In the past, many Americans viewed their health as being determined by access to medical care. This perspective was shaped in part by the development of a biomedical model of health that began with well-baby clinics and national investments in research facilities. However, this model has limited our ability to identify and address the underlying determinants of health.