The word health means different things to different people, depending on
the situation. If somebody says "I was worried about my husband's
health when he climbed Mt. Everest", it is clear that the woman is
referring to her husband's physical health, possibly his heart, skin (
frostbite) and risk of developing
hypothermia (when the body's temperature drops too low.
On the other hand, if you hear the phrase "With all these deadlines,
presentations and working weekends, I wonder what the effect will be on
her health," most likely the word "health" refers more to
mental health than physical health (although the two are often linked).
The words "health" or "healthy" can also be used in non-medical
contexts. For example "A healthy economy needs an ideal GDP growth rate
that is sustainable, one that remains in the expansion phase of the
business cycle as long as possible."
The English word
"health" comes from the Old English word
hale, meaning "wholeness, being whole, sound or well,".
Hale comes from the Proto-Indo-European root
kailo, meaning "whole, uninjured, of good omen".
Kailo comes from the Proto-Germanic root
khalbas, meaning "something divided".
World Health Organization's (WHO's) definition of "health"
The most famous modern definition of health was created during a
Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization as adopted
by the International Health Conference, New York, 19-22 June, 1946;
signed on 22 July 1946 by the representatives of 61 States
(Official Records of the World Health Organization, no. 2, p. 100) and entered into force on 7 April 1948.
"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."
The Definition has not been amended since 1948.
During the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion in 1986, the WHO 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."
The Lancet questions WHO's definition of health
An article in
The Lancet states that health is not a
"state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being". Neither is it
"merely the absence of disease or infirmity".
The article says the WHO definitions of health will not do in an era
marked by new understandings of disease at molecular, individual, and
societal levels.
(The Lancet, Volume 373, Issue 9666, Page 781, 7 March 2009).