Health is a state of well-being and the capability to function in the face of changing circumstances. It encompasses physical and social capabilities, as well as a person’s resilience and ability to adapt. Health is an idea that is central to the activities of health care providers, public health officials, and a variety of other actors who can improve the lives of individuals and communities.
The term “health” has a wide range of meanings, from a narrow biomedical definition as the absence of negative biologic circumstances (altered DNA, abnormal physiologic states, disease, disability, or death) to the broad definition of health adopted by the World Health Organization: a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The latter reflects the importance of social and personal factors that are beyond the direct control of health care systems.
A broad definition of health has many benefits for research, health care delivery, and public policy. It allows for improved efforts to address a wider range of health problems, including not only the reduction of illness and death but also changes in how people respond to their illnesses, their sense of wellbeing, their functioning both now and in the future, and their relationships with others.
Writing about health is challenging for science writers, as it requires nuance and a deep understanding of the field. If you are tempted to cheerlead for a newly approved drug or questionable therapy, fail to mention side effects, or skim the surface of a topic without sorting legitimate findings and consensus views from whacky claims, you can do real harm.
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