The Concept of Health

World Health Organization has defined the term health "as a state of complete physical, mental and social well- being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity".

According to this definition, the health is a positive state. In other words, health is a state of complete well-being and not just the absence of disease and yet may not enjoy complete well-being. A person is healthy if he or she enjoys good health most of the time. Health can be classified into different dimensions.

Physical health: The physical dimension of health is easy to detect and describe. A person is physically healthy if she looks alert, is responsive, energetic and vigorous. Signs of good health are given in Table.

Mental health: Mental health refers to freedom from internal conflicts, a good capacity to adjust to situations and people, sensitivity to the emotional needs of others, capacity to deal with other individuals with consideration and courtesy, good control over one's own emotion without constantly giving into strong feeling of fear, jealousy, anger or guilt.

Mental health is more complex concept than physical health. It is much more difficult to measure. Interrelationship between physical and mental health can be explored with the help of specific examples, i.e., high blood pressure which is a physical ill health can be caused by constant stress and poor ability to handle situations. Physical ill health can also lead to mental ill health. For example, a child who suffers from polio and can not run, feels inferior to other children. This may lead him to mental disturbances and mental ill health.

Signs of good health

Social health: Social health relates to how a person behaves socially and recognizes his or her obligations towards other members of society. It is impossible to realize the goal of social health if mental health has not been achieved. Any type of mental ill health will influence interaction with others and therefore, diminish one's ability to be a useful member of society. Similarly, a person who does not enjoy physical health would find it difficult to achieve social health. Physical ill health often makes one irritable and depressed and unable to reach out to other normally.

Spiritual health: Spiritual health is the most difficult to define. In Indian society spirituality is more easily observable because our society is religious and some moral codes are observed. A healthy individual observe these codes most of time. Spiritual health is little difficult to attain. Following the religious practices and customs does not necessarily make a person spiritually healthy but spiritual health is attained by one good quality.