What is health and what is wellness?
People had been using these two words interchangeably, but are they really the same?
During a
Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization as adopted
by the International Health Conference, New York, 19-22 June, 1946; the most famous modern definition of health was created.
"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."
Based on this definition, there are two aspects of health: physical and mental. Physical health means good bodily condition. It can be achieved from regular physical activity (exercise), good nutrition, and adequate rest. Mental health is a state in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with normal stress of life, work productively, and is able to make contribution to his or her community.
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| Holistic health views a person as a whole |
As for wellness, according to Medilexicon's medical dictionary wellness is defined as:
"A
philosophy of life and personal hygiene that views health as not merely
the absence of illness but the full realization of one's physical and
mental potential, as achieved through positive attitudes, fitness
training, a diet low in fat and high in fiber, and the avoidance of
unhealthful practices (smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, overeating)".
So, the key difference between health and wellness lies in the fact that wellness enlist the full realization of one's full potential. Overall, wellness is a more ambitious concept compared to health and it requires conscious and constant efforts in order to achieve.
Holistic health is a concept in medical practice that takes into account all aspects of an individual's needs, including physical, mental,
and social. It tries to incorporate wellness into its practice. Whether it's conventional or alternative practice, it is how medicine should be. We need to view a person as a whole, and not just a collection of physical systems and symptoms.
Achieving a state of well-being, according to the holistic health concept, is an ongoing process. No matter what their current status of health, people can improve their level of well-being by modifying their lifestyle. Drugs, alcohol, smoking are the obvious dangers that can cause harm to one's health. Less recognized is the impact of things like unhealthy eating habits, stress, lack of physical activity, and depression. Quality of life both in present or in the future is determined by our current lifestyle choices.
Other articles in health and wellness:
- A lot of people are trying to find the most healthy nutrition habit that would work for them. The problem is, a nutrition plan that works great for one person may not work as great on someone else. Read more about finding the nutrition habit that's right for you
- Ever find yourself in need of a push to get you up in the morning and do some physical exercise? Read more about how to make exercise easy and enjoyable
- What is the secret to aging well? This is the question we often find ourselves asking as we sail through our years. Read more about aging gracefully
