What is Health?

For being a word we hear daily, 'health' is difficult to define. The World Health Organization's 1948 definition of health is, "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity" (Huber, 2011). While on its surface this seems to encompass the ideal when it comes to a healthy person I am in agreement with Huber that it is lacking the subtlety and nuance of the human condition and experience.

Written in 1948 the WHO's definition is out of touch with the health of individuals. Society can not expect to have a state of 'complete health', especially when technology and innovation have come so far in the advancement of vaccines, treatments, preventative care and early detection. Further into Huber's article it is stated that a new definition of health is not what is needed but a framework (2011). Because health can be categorized in many ways and have many faces it is imperative that updating this 'definition' be done in broad strokes leaving room for a person to have an illness, disease or disability and to still be considered 'healthy'. As with much regulatory guidance, the frameworks or 'Acts' are open to interpretation. In a conversation that was had during a conference in 2023 with the Privacy Commissioner of Alberta, Diane McLeod, she stated that her office is in the midst of interpreting the Health Information Act, with hopes to update any shortcomings (McLeod, 2023). So, if a regulatory Act can be open to interpretation and flexibility in how it is understood we need a Framework of health that will accomplish the same thing. 

One resources I found when looking into this idea is a YouTube video which explains the WHO definition and how it should be interpreted as a balance today. A person should have a good balance of physical, mental and social health determinants (Straight Up Health, 2021) (see my 'video presentations' page where it is listed). I would agree that this would be a more all encompassing use of the term 'complete'. Completeness as in overall well-being, not necessarily free from disease or illness or mental health struggles, but a synergy between all facets of our life. Balance is also hard to achieve, but I feel that it is much more workable than 'complete' health. I, for instance, would not be a healthy person according to the WHO as I live with asthma. Does this alone make me unhealthy? Imagine going into your doctors office and on your file is a stamp that say 'UNHEALTHY' (because, really, who would be deemed completely healthy by that definition?). Would this make you feel like health was something that you could work towards and achieve? A new framework of the term health (for it is not one thing) is needed.

Another article I found states that "Health is a state of well-being and the capability to function in the face of changing circumstances." ( Institute of Medicine, 1997). This brings forward the necessity of resilience and a persons capacity to change. The article goes onto state that the social determinants of health include the following: social environment, physical environment, genetic endowment, individual response (behavior and biology), health care, disease, health and function, well-being, and prosperity. (Institute of Medicine, 1997). This is as complete a picture as I have seen. It takes into account the family, environmental and social impacts on our health. This is much closer to a health framework than the current WHO definition. Humans are adaptable and capable and, in most cases, willing to participate in their wellness. We need a more recent definition of health that allows and empowers the population to have a state of wellness.

We need an updated framework of health that is attainable in the scope of our modern time. An overarching idea of what a healthy person is while taking into account what would deem a person 'unhealthy'. Are they exclusive? Do we need a 'health spectrum' to measure ourselves against? I think this may be a solution to the outdated and now ill informed definition from 80 years ago. Times have changed, people have changed and the definition of health is overdue to change with us.

References

Huber, M. (2011). Health: How should we define it? British Medical Journal, 343,(7817), 235-237. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d4163 

Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Using Performance Monitoring to Improve Community Health, Durch, J. S., Bailey, L. A., & Stoto, M. A. (Eds.). (1997). Improving health in the community: A role for performance monitoring. National Academies Press (US). Available from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK233009/ 

McLeod, D. (2023, September). Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner [Presentation on privacy and the Health Information Act]. Banff, Alberta, Canada.

Straight Up Health. (2021, June 28). What is Health? | Components of Health [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDY0EYk1FdQ