The World Book
Learn, Share & Earn
The World Book
Learn, Share & Earn
Book: Health and Fitness
Author: Nayma Nishat - Researcher, Health & Fitness
Health is the most important asset of our existence. It is known by all but how many of us truly understand what is health, and what does good health mean? At first, let’s see the acronym of Health.
H = HAPPINESS
E = ENLIGHTENMENT
A = AUTONOMY
L = LEARNING
T = TRANSFORMATION
H = HEALING
Here, we find the word Health is a combination of Happiness, Enlightenment, Autonomy, Learning, Transformation, and Healing. So we can understand that health is something that goes beyond to the physical body. Now come to the point of what health is!
Many of us do not understand the meaning of health. Most often we think if we feel good or look good and don’t have any physical issues we are healthy. But, this concept is not entirely right. Yes, just think, is it safe for us to really base our health on how we feel?
As Albert Einstein rightly said, “If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.” [1]
And I hope you get the answer that is basing on our health on how we feel is ridiculous. You may feel fine while walking and running but be dropped out of a heart attack at the age of fifty; that’s not okay.
According to Medical Science,
“Health is the condition of an organism or one of its parts in which it performs its vital functions normally or properly.” [2]
It’s actually a 100% function. The Function of your physical, chemical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. And the number one thing that controls the function in the body is the brain. As if your brain isn’t working like it’s supposed to, the function of your body doesn’t work. So, please keep in mind that proper function means abundant health.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines,
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” WHO, 1948.[3]
In 1986, the WHO further clarified 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.”[4]
From all the definitions we can understand that a person may be physically fit and yet be tormented with mental complexes such as worries, stress, anxiety, cravings, etc. This is not good health or we can say the person is not healthy at all.
Conversely, another person may be very ill and yet be internally joyous, who is experiencing the fullness of life, peace, and spiritual awareness. This person is healthier than the one mentioned earlier. Even a person who has contracted the hereditary disease and works to overcome it with a positive attitude is in better health than the one without physical disease but living in discontent.
Remember, those who possess a healthy body have a better chance to achieve higher health. That is the health of the mind and soul.
However this is known, if a person faces adversity and overcomes it righteously and learns how to avoid the mistakes which led them to adversity, they are in a good position to attain higher insight because they have overcome an entanglement.
Read more about Different Types of Health.
Therefore, adversity, struggles in life, and illness of the body cannot be automatically seen as negative developments. There are some people who struggle to overcome illnesses and have transformed them into better human beings while there are perfectly physically healthy people who commit suicide. Clearly, these people who are physically healthy but commit suicide or involved in violence and etc. cannot be considered as being in good health.[5]
And the truth is, one’s social status, wealth, etc. are also not signs of health. You may hear that there are multi-billionaires who contract fatal diseases and can do nothing about it through their money.
At last, we can say that health is a broad concept. To have complete health, one has to have harmony with God, harmony with oneself, harmony with the people around him, and harmony with the environment, especially with nature.
And I would like to remind you that; you can lose your home, you can lose your car, you can lose your job or stuff but if you have health, you can get it all back. So it is essential to understand what is health, and what does good health mean to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Please share this writing with your friends, your family, and your loved ones because people need to know these and together, we can change the community.
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Founder: Nayma Nishat