Meaning and Importance of Health

As noted already, health is not merely the absence of any disease - it is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. This positive, all-round view is what makes health more than simply "not being ill."

In today's lifestyle the balance is easily lost. People work in a hectic environment with little time for physical activity, and at the same time eating habits have changed - everyone wants food that is quick and easy, which makes fast foods such as burgers and pizzas a tempting choice. This not only makes people unhealthy but leaves them vulnerable to many diseases.

The food we eat affects us on all three sides of health at once - physically, mentally and socially. Eating pizza for dinner every day, for instance, upsets the stomach and leaves a person feeling bloated; that physical discomfort then affects the mind, and a person who does not feel physically well is unlikely to feel like socialising or meeting people, which harms social health too.

Why this matters

Health is best understood as a continuum, not a fixed state - a person moves along it from illness towards an optimal level of well-being, and small daily choices (what is eaten, how much one moves, how well one sleeps) shift that position every single day. This is why a person can be "free of disease" on a medical check-up and still be far from healthy in the WHO sense - someone who is constantly anxious, cut off from friends and family, or so unfit that climbing a flight of stairs leaves them breathless has a real health deficit even with no diagnosed illness. …