Health

Calle de la Salud in Madrid (Spain).

Health (from the Latin salus, -utis) is a state of well-being or balance that can be seen at a subjective level (a human being assumes as acceptable the general state in which it is found) or at an objective level (the absence of diseases or harmful factors in the subject in question is verified). The term health is opposed to that of disease, and is the object of special attention by medicine and health sciences.

History

The meaning of health has evolved over time. From the biomedical perspective, the first definitions of health focused on the issue of the body's ability to function; health was considered a normal functioning state that could be altered from time to time by disease. An example of this definition of health is: "a state characterized by anatomical, physiological and psychological integrity; the ability to perform personally valued family, work, and community roles; the ability to cope with physical, biological, psychological, and social stress'. Then, in 1948, in a radical departure from previous definitions, the World Health Organization (WHO) proposed a definition that aimed higher: link health with well-being, in terms of "physical, mental and social well-being, and not just the absence of disease and infirmity". Although this definition was welcomed by some as innovative, it was also criticized as being vague, excessively broad and not considered measurable. For a long time, it was set aside as an impractical ideal, and most health debates returned to the practicality of the biomedical model.

Just as we went from considering illness as a state to thinking of it as a process, the same change occurred in the definitions of health. Once again, WHO played a leading role in fostering the development of the health promotion movement in the 1980s. This brought a new understanding of health, not as a state, but in dynamic terms of resilience, that is, as "a resource for living". In 1984, the WHO revised the definition of health and defined it as "the degree to which an individual or group is able to fulfill their aspirations and satisfy their needs, as well as to change or cope with their environment". Health is a resource for daily life, not the goal of life; it is a positive concept, emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capabilities". Thus, health referred to the ability to maintain homeostasis and recover from aggression. Mental, intellectual, emotional and social health referred to a person's ability to manage stress, to acquire skills, to maintain relationships, all of which build resources for resilience and independent living. This opens up many possibilities for health is taught, strengthened and learned.

Since the late 1970s, the federal Healthy People program has been a visible component of America's approach to improving population health. Each decade, a new version of Healthy People is published, presenting updated targets and identifying thematic areas and quantifiable targets for health improvement over the next ten years, with an assessment at that time of progress or lack thereof. Progress has been limited on many targets, raising questions about the effectiveness of Healthy People in determining outcomes in the context of a decentralized and uncoordinated US healthcare system. Healthy People 2020 places more emphasis on health promotion and preventive approaches and adds a substantive focus on the importance of addressing the social determinants of health. A new, expanded digital interface makes it easier to use and disseminate instead of the bulky print books that were produced in the past. The impact of these changes on Healthy People will be determined in the coming years.

Systematic activities to prevent or cure health problems and promote good health in humans are carried out by caregivers. Applications regarding animal health are covered by veterinary science. The term "healthy" it is also widely used in the context of many types of non-living organizations and their impacts for the benefit of humans, such as in the sense of healthy communities, healthy city, or healthy environment. In addition to health care interventions and a person's environment, it is known that there are other factors that influence the health status of individuals, such as their background, their lifestyle, and their economic, social, and spiritual conditions; these factors are called "determinants of health". Studies have shown that high levels of stress can affect human health.

In the first decade of the 21st century, the conceptualization of health as a capacity opened the door for self-assessments became the main indicators for judging the performance of efforts to improve human health. It also created the opportunity for everyone to feel healthy, even in the presence of multiple chronic diseases, or a terminal condition, and for the determinants of health are re-examined, moving away from the traditional approach that focuses on reducing the prevalence of disease.

Definitions

Health Centre in Alcalá de Henares (Spain).

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, according to the definition presented by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its constitution approved in 1948 (Some authors this definition by considering it subjective by equating health with well-being and not taking into account altered health states that may be compatible with a state of well-being on the one hand, and on the other, they consider it as a static and non-dynamic vision of the health of an individual forgetting that an individual can have different states of health). This concept is extended to: Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of illness or disease. In health, as in disease, there are various degrees of involvement and it should not be treated as a dichotomous variable. Thus, it would be reformulated as follows: Health is a state of physical, mental and social well-being, with the capacity to function, and not just the absence of conditions or diseases. It can also be defined as the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of an organism at both the micro (cellular) and macro (social) levels.

Within the context of health promotion, health has been considered not as an abstract state, but as a means to an end, as a resource that enables people to lead lives individually, socially and economically. productive. Health is a resource for daily life, not the goal of life. It is a positive concept that emphasizes social and personal resources, as well as physical aptitudes.

Health is measured by the impact a person can receive without compromising his or her life system. Thus, the life system becomes a health criterion. A healthy person is the one who can live his unconfessed dreams fully....

Moshé Feldenkrais

Health is mainly a measure of the ability of each person to do or become what he wants to be....

René Dubos

Health is the dynamic balance of risk factors between the medium and within certain parameters....

John De Saint

Fitness is the ability of the body to perform any type of exercise where it shows that it has endurance, strength, agility, skill, coordination and flexibility.

There is also mental health, which is characterized by a person's balanced emotional state and self-acceptance (thanks to self-learning and self-knowledge); in clinical terms, it is the absence of any type of mental illness.

These definitions have been questioned as it is considered an ideal definition, since not all the population would reach that state. Today we assume that health is a process in which the individual moves along a health-disease axis, approaching one or the other extreme depending on whether the balance is strengthened or broken.

Subjective level

However, the concept of health (good health) is subjective. Many people have become accustomed to living with a state of chronic ill health as if it were normal, influenced by the social or family environment, their personal experiences that make it impossible for them to contrast with a situation of good health and, on occasions, the lack of support or solutions by health professionals, among other reasons. This fact is preventing the recognition and diagnosis of disorders that, without treatment, can cause serious consequences on health. As outstanding examples, it is worth mentioning celiac disease or malnutrition in the elderly. Likewise, this acceptance of chronic poor health as something to be expected or normal and the lack of awareness about the importance of prevention lead to poor follow-up of prescribed treatments in diagnosed chronic diseases, with the consequent negative repercussions on health.

Full and comprehensive health

Some propose the denomination of “full and integral health”, which covers all aspects of the human being, including the environmental and the spiritual (intellectual and religious), as well as their interdependence with the rest of the living beings that inhabit the planet. planet.

They maintain that the union of our body, our soul (psyche) and our spirit means that we are “alive” and that we live in a “human” way, that is, that we are in the world and that we aspire to be free.

In this way, we find ourselves traveling a new path, based on relatively recent concepts, but already consolidated over time, which can be included under the idea that "health It is a commitment of the entire society as a whole”. Displaces the classic and traditional binomial “doctor-patient”, as a result of a more social approach that involves many actors in a scenario also more open, dynamic and global.

In this sense, an extension of the WHO definition of health is proposed: "Health is a complete state of physical, mental, social, environmental and spiritual well-being and not merely the absence of conditions or diseases".

Nutrition

Diet is the main factor influencing health. To have good health you need to maintain a balanced diet, with a wide variety of foods, achieve a balance between calories, eat the recommended daily meals, among others.

We can look at the food pyramid for a healthy and balanced nutrition. Without healthy nutrition, diseases such as: obesity, malnutrition, etc. can be contracted; low fat and lipids should be consumed, plenty of fruits and vegetables, animal products should be consumed regularly, cereals should be consumed constantly, fruits and vegetables should be washed before each meal. In nutrition, a very important fact is the hygiene that is necessary to avoid stomach diseases. We must not forget the exercise that serves for good digestion. It is also very important not to go on a diet without instructions from a specialist, since it is not safe.

The best thing is to eat all the foods that the food pyramid offers us, the important thing is to consume them in adequate portions. The Mediterranean Diet is considered to be highly healthy, since some of the bioactive compounds present in it include phenolic compounds, isoprenoids and alkaloids that contribute to the healthy effects commonly associated with this diet.

Physical exercise

Street of Health in Plasencia (Cáceres).

Regular physical activity at any age produces well-being and improves both mood and physique.

Physical exercise is any bodily movement repeated for the purpose of maintaining or improving health. It is also often directed toward improving athletic ability and/or skill. Regular physical exercise is a necessary component in the prevention of some diseases such as heart problems, cardiovascular diseases, Type 2 Diabetes mellitus, overweight, back pain, among others.

Physical exercise should be practiced in a measured and balanced way, paying attention to internal physical changes to learn to understand the cause-effect relationship between the specific physical movement and its direct effect with the perceived internal changes.

Recommended because it can lead to physical wear and tear on certain parts of the body. For this reason, it is worth insisting on the balance of forces, both internal and external, and self-knowledge helps through critical self-analysis (self-examination of conscience while performing physical activity).

Physical exercise is necessary for balanced health; In addition, it must be complemented with a balanced diet and an adequate quality of life. Its benefits can be summarized in the following points:

• It increases vitality, so it provides more energy and capacity to work.
• Help in fighting stress, anxiety and depression.
• It increases self-esteem and self-image.
• Improves muscle tone and fatigue resistance.
• Facilitates relaxation and decreases tension.
• Burn calories, helping to lose excessive weight or stay in the ideal weight.
• It helps to reconcile the dream.
• It promotes the coexistence between friends and family, as well as giving the opportunity to meet people.
• It reduces violence in very temperamental people.
• It favors lifestyles without addiction to tobacco, alcohol and other substances.
• Improves sexual response.
• It holds the feeling of isolation and loneliness among the elderly.
• It strengthens the lungs and thus improves the circulation of oxygen in the blood.
• Reduces cholesterol and risk of heart attack, and regulates blood pressure.
• It is effective in treating depression.
• It stimulates the release of endorphins, the so-called "hormones of happiness".
• It allows a momentary distraction of worries, so you get peace and clarity to face them later.

The minimum amount to prevent disease is 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity. Other habits that should be combined with exercise are: good nutrition, adequate rest, hygiene and avoiding the consumption of substances that are harmful to the body, such as tobacco, alcohol and other stimulants.

Rest

Plaza de la Salud, Plasencia (Cáceres).

Rest is necessary for the different adaptations provided by physical activity to occur in our body and for an improvement in body performance to occur. Rest time varies depending on age, so it cannot be generalized that it is 8 hours, since for children from 3 to 5 years the recommended amount is 10-13 hours, from 6 to 13 years it is 9 -11 hours, from 14 to 17 years old it is from 8-10 hours, from 18 to 25 years old, a break of 7-9 hours, the same as for the group from 26 to 64 years old and for the older adult (65 years and over) from 7 -8 hours a day.^{[citation required]}

Hygiene

Hygiene is the set of knowledge and techniques applied by individuals to control the factors that exert or may exert harmful effects on their health. Personal hygiene is the basic concept of hygiene, cleanliness and care of the human body. Hygiene is an essential element for health, since it maintains the cleanliness of the body, hair and teeth, which prevents infections and diseases.

Mental Health

Mental health is a concept that refers to the emotional and psychological well-being of the individual. Merriam-Webster defines mental health as: «the state of emotional and psychological well-being in which an individual can use their cognitive and emotional abilities, function in society, and meet the ordinary demands of daily life».

According to the WHO, there is no official definition of mental health. Cultural differences, subjective evaluations, and competing professional theories make it difficult to define "mental health." In general, most experts advise that mental health and mental illness are not mutually exclusive. In other words, the absence of a recognized mental disorder is not necessarily an indicator of mental health (probably due to the lack of knowledge of the wide variety of mental states yet to be defined, and the young age of medical science in general such as we know it today, and especially from science that tries to define more accurately these disorders or health-disease complexes that both psychology and psychiatry propose).

The healthy personality

In Ancient Greece nothing was known about viruses and bacteria, but they already recognized that personality and its characteristics play a fundamental role in the origins of the disease.

Galen, a gigantic figure of the ancient world, already observed the existence of a very close link between melancholy and breast cancer. In this way, in these first medical approaches, we find early a holistic approach in the consideration of health and disease.

Plato remarked that good education is the one that strongly tended to improve the mind together with the body. He recognized, in a way, that bodily health leads to mental hygiene, but, at the same time, that a good state of mind predisposes to a good state of body. Thus, he specifically established that the "good" soul, by its own excellence, improves the body in every way.

In modern times, since the 20th century, especially, but also long before – and even in medicine ancient oriental–, the need for a holistic conception of health is beginning to be recognized.

The psychosomatic conception obliges us to attend to our interiority as a possible cause of bodily disturbances. This is unanimously recognized by the Western clinic, which sees that in medical offices a very high percentage of consultations respond to distortions of the mind or personality, in a broad sense.

This new approach is not dualistic in the Cartesian way. He conceives man as a unit, in which curative powers often nest, which, when stimulated, help to solve somatic problems. Non-materialistic medical philosophy is thus increasing in the world in which conventional medicine was able to dominate.

Habits that are harmful to health

They are all those activities that witness harmful and dangerous consequences for our health. The most relevant are:

• Sedentarism. It consists in the absence of physical activity, action that aggravates mainly physical diseases. It can cause obesity, cholesterol in excess, stress, lack of communication, etc.
• Incorrect bodily postures. For example, sitting without keeping your back straight can cause diseases like asymmetric scoliosis.
• Drugs. They are one of the elements that harm and generate dependence, from tobacco or alcohol to so-called design drugs. They cause serious alterations in the body.
• Tobacco. It is also a drug, although it is considered legal. Tobacco decreases lung capacity and causes large respiratory diseases. The possibility of respiratory diseases increases.

Factors that influence health

According to the report by Lalonde, carried out in 1974 in Canada, it is suggested that there are four general determinants that influence health, which were called: human biology, environment , way of life and the organization of health care. In this way, health is maintained by the science and practice of medicine, but also by own effort. Fitness, a healthy diet, managing stress, quitting smoking and abusing other harmful substances, among other measures, are steps to improve someone's health. On the other hand, the lifestyle is the set of behaviors or skills that people develop, that is, they can be healthy or harmful to health and we can also find that it is the cause of diseases within the host factor.

Having a balanced diet, which includes all food groups, and regular moderate physical activity (150 minutes of exercise per week) are key factors in improving health; in addition to not smoking, having a moderate alcohol consumption, eating five pieces of fruit and vegetables a day and having an appropriate weight for the person's height. These changes in life habits would combat chronic cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.

Human Biology

It is the study of the life of the human being or the genetic information that each individual carries in their genes, can protect or favor the appearance of diseases. Within the biological factor we can highlight diseases acquired through the environment such as dengue or Chagas disease.

Atmosphere

They are all those factors that come from outside and over which the human being "has no control".

A report, released on March 4, 2008 by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), warns that "air pollution will have increasing effects on health worldwide"; and if nothing is done to remedy it –as has been happening up to now–, he warns, in 2030 "the number of premature deaths related to tropospheric ozone will multiply by four."^{[citation required]}

Domestic environment

They are all those factors that come from the outside and over which the human being does have control. Household chemicals seriously alter the domestic environment and pass to people through food, which they easily contaminate by being stored in the same rooms for periods of time.

Healthy way of life

To complete a healthy lifestyle, it is necessary to follow certain guidelines, both in terms of food and physical exercise habits.

First of all, a balanced diet requires a controlled and balanced intake consisting of a high intake of vegetables, fruits, legumes and cereals –which contain antioxidants and fiber– and fish, rich in fatty acids and omega 3. They are also recommended, in smaller quantities, white meats, red meats, with a lot of control over the latter as they contain saturated fats.

For its part, physical exercise habits are essential to burn excess calories ingested, and tone muscles and bones with a view to old age. Its practice reduces the chances of suffering from heart disease, diseases related to blood pressure and cholesterol.

In the part of toxic habits, it is worth noting alcohol and tobacco as some of the most harmful sources for health in terms of the great extension among the population of these habits.

Health promotion

The process that allows strengthening the knowledge, skills and attitudes of people to participate responsibly in their health care and to opt for healthy lifestyles, facilitating the achievement and maintenance of an adequate state of individual, family and social health. collective through activities of social, communicative and educational participation for health.

Care is also related to prevention. It gives you control over disease risks and changes your lifestyle to a healthier one. As long as it is accompanied by a balanced diet, creating an exercise routine and avoiding situations that cause stress, all with the aim of reducing the risk of disease.

Health and education should not act as watertight compartments but as vessels that communicate with each other and with the rest of the community, since education improves people's health.