Essay on Understanding the Sociology of Health

In 1946 the World Health Organisation (WHO) defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. This definition integrates the main concepts of health and identifies that health can be viewed differently by individuals and groups (Bowden, 2006). Health and well-being are the result of a combination of physical, social, intellectual and emotional factors (Dunkley, 2000a).

The definition of health is the state of being free from illness and injury, it can also be used to explain a person’s mental or physical condition.

According to the dictionary, the word health is “the state of being free from illness.” At a first glance, this defination seems to be very direct and simple, however the meaning of the word ‘health’ nowadays is much more complex. The above definition pretty much sums up our view of health in the first half of the 20th century.

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” (World Health Organisation, 2011)

As you have mentioned, Fair (2011) presented that physical wellness has numerous components like medical, pharmaceutical and drug, nutritional, aerobic capacity, muscular fitness, flexibility, and body composition wellness. What is my assessment for my physical wellness? The stage of my physical wellness has been in contemplation stage. Fair (2011) described that stage as the patient being aware that he/she is engaging in behavior that could lead to a health problem but still uncertain which approach to follow. “Despite the benefits of regular exercise and healthy eating, most people have difficulty beginning and maintaining positive behavioral changes” (Brinthaupt, Kang, &

The definition of health is fluid, ever changing and carries different meanings across individuals, societies and cultures. Although it is difficult

Firstly, looking at the positive definition of health, it is a positive concept, highlighting social and personal resources together with physical capacities. According to the World

The negative model is based on the idea that health is the opposite of disease. The definition believes that disease is a biological state where the individual is afflicted by a physical condition or illness (Walsh, 2011: 325). It views the body as a machine that may malfunction at times, because for some reason or another, its parts have stopped working. The damage to these machine parts is the disease. It a health care professional’s role to identify these fault and repair them. This is based on medical intervention via drugs or surgery. This can be a very negative outlook on health because some conditions could be caused by social factors, so a physical approach to

Health can be defined in many different ways, for example, the Bio-Medical model of health believes health to be the absence of pain, biological abnormalities and diseases. Whereas most Socio-medical models of health such as the World Health Organisation consider health to involve a range of different factors such as environment, social life and mental wellbeing alongside the more recognised factors of health e.g. pain and sickness. From a personal perspective, health should cover all aspects, whether it is social, environmental, psychological and physical. All of these aspects are important aspects to a person’s wellbeing. (Taylor & field 2003)

My definition of health is the overall well-being of an individual including several factors. They include the present state of mind of an individual, the financial situation an individual may be in, the environment the individual may be exposed to, and the genetics of the person.

I consider health as a state of wellness. With this, I bear in mind that each person’s idea of wellness may differ from the next. For example, a diabetic may consider his diabetes being under control and healthy when his

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO, 1948.)

In society today, there is an extensive range of definitions of health and wellbeing which can be seen as both positive and negative. A Holistic view can also be identified and defined. These definitions of health have changed over time and will carry on changing within the future. According to where a family lives or their social class everyone will have different meanings and views of health and wellbeing. This may be due to what one person perceives as being healthy as another person may not. Channel 4 learning (no date) describes that a positive view of health can be seen as when a person is more likely to achieve and sustain physical fitness from exercising and are mentally stable. Therefor a negative view can be described when a

Finally, ones physical health does play an important role in their overall wellness. This aspect, while not necessarily as intrinsically important as the other aspects can play a determining role in those areas and so is essential to one's complete health. Obviously this is the most immediately changeable part of one' life and can be altered in many different ways, none of which are terribly difficult and most of which bring relatively quick results. All it takes to Improve this area of a person's health is the determination to do it and a simple plan of how to do so. Included in this plan can be changes in diet, exercise habits and even sleep habits.

As humans remain different in nature, so are their perceptions and response towards certain issues of their lives and well being. The concept of health assumes to be a typical example of this and hence, poses debate about what it is. “Health” is a word which means different things to different people (Ewles & Simnett, 2003). This essay intends to critically discuss the meaning of health by exploring different definitions and their contraindications.