Introduction to Health

Module – I

Good Health and Its Balance for

Good Health
 Topics
• What is Health?
• Why health is important?
• What influences our health? – health and
behaviour; health beliefs; health and
advertisement; advantages of good health
(short term and long term); health and society
 Industrial Skills in 21st Century

What is health?

• Lay man views health as absence of illness. It

means absence of negative state, which is not
very clear.
In 1948 The World Health Organization (W H O)
defined health. It as follows:
“ Health is a state of complete physical, mental,
and social well-being and not the absence of
disease or infirmary.”
• In 1988, The WHO made further clarification and
stated it as
• “a resource for everyday life, not the objective
living.”
• “Health is a positive concept emphasizing social
and personal resources as well as physical
capacities.”
• This means that health is a resource to support an
individual’s function in wider society, rather than
an end in itself.” A healthful life style provides the
means to lead a full life with meaning and purpose.
 Types

• Mental and physical health is probably the two most

frequently discussed types of health.
• Spiritual, emotional, and financial health also contributes
to overall health. Medical experts have linked these to
lower stress levels and improved mental and physical well-
being.
• People with better financial health, for example, may
worry less about finances and have the means to buy fresh
food more regularly.
• people with good spiritual health may feel a sense of calm
and purpose that fuels good mental health.
 Physical health

• A person who has good physical health is likely

to have bodily functions and processes
working at their peak.
• This is not only due not only to an absence of
disease. Regular exercise, balanced nutrition,
and adequate rest all contribute to good
health. People receive medical treatment to
maintain the balance, when necessary.
• Physical well-being involves pursuing a healthful
lifestyle to decrease the risk of disease.
Maintaining physical fitness, for example, can
protect and develop the endurance of a
person’s breathing and heart function, muscular
strength, flexibility, and body composition.
• Looking after physical health and well-being
also involves reducing the risk of an injury or
health issue, such as:
• minimizing hazards in the workplace
• using contraception when having sex
• practicing effective hygiene
• avoiding the use of tobacco, alcohol, or illegal
drugs
• taking the recommended vaccines for a
specific condition or country when traveling
• Good physical health can work in tandem with
mental health to improve a person’s overall
quality of life.
• For example, mental illness, such as
depression, may increase the risk of drug use
disorders This can go on to adversely affect
physical health
 Mental health

• According to the 
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services,
 mental health refers to a person’s emotional,
social, and psychological well-being. Mental
health is as important as physical health as part
of a full, active lifestyle.
• Good mental health is not only categorized by
the absence of depression, anxiety, or another
disorder. It also depends on a person’s ability to:
• enjoy life
• bounce back after difficult experiences and
adapt to adversity
• balance different elements of life, such as
family and finances
• feel safe and secure
• achieve their full potential
• Physical and mental health has strong
connections. For example, if a chronic illness
affects a person’s ability to complete their
regular tasks, it may lead to depression and
stress. These feelings could be due to financial
problems or mobility issues.
• A mental illness, such as depression or 
anorexia, can affect body weight and overall
function
• It is important to approach “health” as a
whole, rather than as a series of separate
factors. All types of health are linked, and
people should aim for overall well-being and
balance as the keys to good health.
 Importance of health in our life

• Health is the body's functional and metabolic

efficiency, and its ability to adapt to the
physical, mental, and social changes that it is
exposed to
• Health is the factor that helps a person
performs his daily life tasks in a correct and
right way. 
• A person's physical health means that the
body does not have any diseases in all parts of
his body, and the safety of all its membranes. 
While mental and social health is represented
by the ability of a person to accomplish social
tasks entrusted to him without defect or error.
• A healthy person is a person who is able to serve
himself, his nation and his community. 
• An unhealthy person who suffers from illness sees
him weak and meager, unable to properly carry out
the duties and responsibilities incumbent on him. 
• When the disease develops, the person becomes
dependent on other people and cannot meet his
different needs in life, which affects his psyche as
well due to his sense of helplessness and weakness
• Society is also affected by the presence of the
disease among its members, as the
productivity of these patients weakens and
they become dependent on society. 
As for the presence of healthy individuals in
society, this means the presence of productive
individuals who possess the power and the
ability to give and serve.
• The importance of health for a person is that it
saves him the costs of treatment and the
hassle of going to hospitals. 
A healthy person who is far from the disease
sees him saving money that he would have
spent on the disease if he neglected his
health, so it is always said that "an ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure". 
• You see many governments that are exposed to
the spread of epidemics and diseases among their
members spend a large part of the money to buy
medications to treat these cases. 
You also see governments and societies that are
concerned with the safety of their people focusing
on aspects of prevention and health guidance.
• Psychologically healthy people feel comfortable
and happy in their lives and enjoy life well. 
A person who suffers from mental illnesses
always sees him as a gloomy and pessimist and
does not feel happy in his life and in his
relationships with people. 
While you see a healthy person enjoying
happiness in his life, establishing his
relationships with people and showing love,
kindness, and intimacy.
• Finally, a person must consider many matters
and behaviors in life in order to avoid diseases
that interfere with his life and to know that
illness may be part of the many trials that a
person is exposed to.
 What influences our health?

• Many factors combine together to affect the

health of individuals and communities.
Whether a person is healthy or unhealthy is
determined by his/her circumstances and
environment. To a large extent, factors such as
• 1)where we live,
• 2)the state of our environment,
• 3)genetics,
• 4)our income and education level, and
• 5)our relationships with friends and family all
have considerable impacts on health

• Apart from the more commonly considered

factors such as access and use of health care
services often have less of an impact.
 health and Behaviour

• Several behavioral factors exert strong influence on

health. Behavioral factors such as physical activity
and diet, sexual practices, tobacco use, alcohol
abuse, disease screening etc. are viewed as
important
• The behavior on over all individual health and public
health has been examined, and scientific guidelines
have been formulated.
• One example of behavioral influence on health is the
impact of diet and physical activity
 Health beliefs and its influence
• Health beliefs are what people believe about
health. What they think constitutes their health
• What they consider the cause of their illness,
ways to overcome an illness are all part of the
belief system that prevails in the individual
• Beliefs are culturally determined and all come
together to form health belief systems.
• Example: individuals who do not think they will
get the flue are less likely to get a yearly flue shot.
 Influence of Advertisement on health

• Advertising promote social messages and life style

through illustrating the position of ideal consumer.
• They stimulate social action toward purchase of that
product
• Advertising spending also creates positive impression
about brand in the minds of the consumers
• Advertising makes us to associate happiness with
consumerism
• Advertisement has both positive and negative influence
on health
 Advantages of good health

• A good health has short term and long term

benefits
The Physical and Psychological Benefits of Being
Healthy
• It's important to know the reasons why being
unhealthy is bad for our health. Knowing the
dangers often provides us the motivation we
need to change things. However, the benefits of
being healthy can also offer that same motivation
• Rather than looking at the negative aspect of things
all time, look at the brighter side. Sometimes,
reading the range of benefits being healthy offers
makes people want to go for a walk or improve their
diet.
• Good health plays an immensely crucial role in our
overall well-being. With an alarming number of
reports on different ailments, it has become simply
impossible to overlook the importance of good
health in our lives
 Live a happier life
• With good health, you feel happier. This is
mainly because you won’t have any fear or
concern regarding your health condition. Also,
you’ll be able to live a stress-free life compared
to people with chronic diseases. On the
contrary, with poor health, you’ll be missing
out on various enjoyable activities that you
may have pursued otherwise
 Increased longevity
• Being healthy means that you’ll have a
greater chance of living longer compared to
people with chronic ailments or poor health
conditions, who not only have to deal with
financial worries but also face stress and
depression – two key impacts triggered by
poor health.  
 Improved energy
• Everyone has experienced a lethargic feeling at least some
point of time in their lives. But with optimal health, your
body becomes more capable of managing the energy
level. Good health also helps to deliver nutrients and
oxygen to the tissues and makes the cardiovascular
system functioning more efficiently. It boosts your energy
level to help you perform your daily activities and even let
you enjoy better sleep at night. When you’re in good
health and full of energy, common ailments associated
with poor sleep quality like diabetes, high blood pressure,
heart disease etc get alleviated as well.
 Enhanced self-esteem
• When you’re enjoying good health, it’ll automatically
improve your self-esteem. A balanced life filled with
nutritious diet and lots of physical activity greatly
contribute to the improved confidence level. In addition,
being healthy also means that you’d be better able to
help the others. Knowing that you’re aiding other people
will also increase your self-confidence. All these things
heavily contribute to enhance your self-image and give
your self-esteem a big boost.
Increased capacity of fighting diseases
• Good health helps avert certain diseases including high
blood pressure, stroke, heart disease etc. When you
maintain good health, you’ll be able to keep your blood
pressure and cholesterol within a safe range. This makes
your blood circulation smooth, lowering the risks of
various cardiovascular diseases. In addition, good health
comprising of proper diet and regular physical activity can
also prevent or help you better manage health problems
such as diabetes, depression, metabolic syndrome,
arthritis and certain kinds of cancer, among others.
Improved mental clarity
• Having a healthy body and mind would make you
think clearer. Whenever you’re experiencing a crisis
and you need to find out a solution quickly, you’ll tend
to make a wise decision if you’re in good health. This
is because being fit – both physically and mentally,
would let you concentrate better on certain things
and encourage clarity of thoughts. On the contrary, if
you’re having a poor health condition, your mind will
become tired easily when you’re trying to concentrate
on things. Also, you’ll get distracted easily with the
discomforts associated with your health issues.
 Enjoy physical activities
• Being in good health condition enables you to perform
almost anything you want, especially doing strenuous
activities and sports. As a matter of fact, you’ll be able
to enjoy the physical activities when you’re fit. Regular
participation in physical activities isn’t only great for
your mind and body but it also boosts the immune
system and alleviates the symptoms of depression. On
the other hand, with a poor health condition, you’ll
become tired quickly and thus won’t be able to enjoy
the physical activities that you do.
 
 Health and Society.

• Health is essential to eradicating extreme poverty

and promoting growth of well-being
• The analysis show that over past decade, health
improvements constitutes 24% of full income
growth in low-and middle- income countries.
• Why are health factors important to society?
• People who fit into society are likely to be more
content and healthier even in the most affluent
countries.
 Reference
1. Health Psychology- Biopsychosocial Factors
in Health and Illness.
Authors: Larry C. Barnard & Edward Krupat.
Harcourt Brace College Publishers
2.Health Psychology. Ninth edition. Shelley E.
Taylor . McGraw Hill Edition. India Pvt. Ltd.
3. Health Psychology. By M. Robin Dimalleo.
Leslie R. Martin. Pearson Education
Parling Kindersley (India)
Internet source:
1) htps:// w.w.w Medical News today.com
2) The Scientific World Information.com
3) Importance of good health in out life:
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