1. HEALTH
The strength of a nation rests upon the health of its people. The future of the health of the people
depends, to a large extent, on what is done to promote, improve and preserve the health, as health is
a fundamental human right. To be a good man is the first requisite to success in life and to be a nation
of healthy citizens is the first condition to national prosperity. 'Health' is man's greatest wealth. To
this end he must have adequate knowledge of how to live healthy.
Health is not merely absence of disease, it is positive quality of the living body, of which fitness for
one's works and happiness are distinguishing marks. The term 'health' is not an abstract thing but a
relative concept. In it we see a continuum of freedom from sickness to better health, and positive
health.
What does the word 'Health' signify?
The dictionary meaning of the word health is, "freedom from disease, sound body and mind etc; that
condition in which functions of body and mind are duly discharged". Earlier, health was considered
as a condition of being 'hale' i.e. safe and sound. A more searching and deep look in the subject would
show that health is more than this. The implication of health is that, health may be a continuum along
linear scale, from near death at one end to optimum health of the other.
Optimum health would be that level which would enable the individual to live life to the fullest.
Health is the ability of the body to sustain adaptive efforts and is used to imply body power, vitality,
and ability to resist fatigue. It is sometimes considered as the total outcome of the organic, neuro-
muscular, interpretive, and emotional development.
Health educationists are slowly evolving away from the view that health is merely the treatment and
prevention of illness; to a more open ended view that emphasizes the individual's own responsibility
for his own wellbeing. It may be emphasized that health is neither static nor isolated from external
circumstances; our health depends on the way we relate to our environment and to each other; where
we live the jobs we do, the food we eat, the water we drink and air we breathe are all important. We
are now coming to realize that health is extricable bound up with our minds, environment and ways
of living. Health is basic to learning, to happiness, to success, to effective citizenship, and to
worthwhile living.
,2. DEFINITIONS OF HEALTH
Swami Vivekananda said, "a weak person who has weak body or weak mind can never be master of
a strong soul".
Aristotle has also stated that "a sound mind lives in a sound body."
J F. Williams defines it as "Health is that quality of life that enables an individual to live most and
serve best." Health can be achieved, maintained and improved by supplying the basic physical, mental,
emotional and social needs in proper proportion. In fact health is the key to education, success, good
citizenship and a happy life. Now a days health and its maintenance is being considered as a major
social investment and it is being felt that health involves individual, state and international
responsibility.
World health organization -"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and
not merely an absence of diseases or infirmity".
Oxford English Dictionary -"Health means soundness of body or mind; that condition in which in
which its functions are duly and efficiently discharged".
3. DIMENSIONS OF HEALTH
Authorities in the field of health have recognized three closely interwoven dimensions of health
1. Physical dimension
2. Mental dimension
3. Social dimension
4. Emotional dimension
5. Spiritual dimension
However, recently it has been felt that few more dimensions ofhealth can be added viz emotional,
spiritual, vocational, educational, nutritional, environmental and curative and preventive.
1) PHYSICAL DIMENSION
Physical dimension purely refers to the perfect functioning of the body externally as well as internally.
Externally: having good physique, good appearance, good texture and complexion, attractive features,
well-structured and strong body parts and limbs, well-groomed posture, graceful carriage and efficient
movement.
,Internally: all systems of the human body i.e. digestive, circulatory, respiratory, nervous and
excretory system and sensory organs are functioning optimally. The pulse rate, blood pressure and
body weight being in normal limits according to the age and sex. Physical dimension i.e. physical
health means proper functioning of the systems and physical well-being of the body, cumulative results
being perfect and harmonious functioning of the human body.
2) MENTAL DIMENSION
Mental health is the balanced development of an individual's personality and emotional attitudes which
enables him to live harmoniously with his fellow beings.
Sartorius has defined mental health as "a state of balance between the individual and the surrounding
world, a state of harmony between oneself and others, a coexistence between the realities of the self
and that of other people, and that of the environment". It is influenced by both biological and social
factors. A good mental health implies that an individual has adjusted satisfactorily to his environment,
home, work place and other people of the society, so that he is realizing the maximum amount of
happiness from living.
Generally mental ill health is the results of a combination of various psycho-bio- social factors. Some
of the common causes of mental ill health arc anxiety, tension, fear, insecurity, a sense of inequality
and prejudices etc. However, mental health is not mere absence of mental illness. A mentally healthy
person is free from internal conflicts, feels comfortable and secure about himself, accepts his short-
comings, has self-respect, feels right towards other and is able to feel a part of the group, takes
responsibilities, is able to meet the demands of life, is able to identify and face the problems as they
arise, takes his own decision, sets reasonable goals for himself and has control over his emotions, fear
and anger.
Mental health can be summed up in the words of H.B.English, "Mental health is a relatively enduring
state wherein the person is well adjusted, has a zest for living, and is attaining self-actualization or
self-realization. It is a positive state and not mere absence of mental disorder"
3) SOCIAL DIMENSION
Social health is the ability to get along with one self and with others, to be independent but at the same
time to realize how dependent one is on others.
Donald has defined social well-being as "the quantity and quality of an individual's interpersonal ties
and the extent of involvement with the community"
, Social health is concerned with helping an individual in making personal adjustment, group adjustment
and adjustments as a member of the society. Sound social interaction at the early stage life builds up
correct attitude which go a long way in helping the child to adjust in the society.
Social maladjustment is a problem which is often reflected in reduced mental health. Thus social
interaction becomes a means of achieving mental health. One's social health status is measured not in
terms of personal feelings of well-being but in terms of one's effect on the well-being of others.
Each individual has certain basic social needs which include feelings of belongingness, recognition,
self-respect and love, and fulfillment of these needs result in promoting social health. A socially
healthy person possesses the desirable qualities of integrity, unselfishness, forgiveness, sense of
fairness, co-operation etc.
4) EMOTIONAL DIMENSION
Emotions are the feelings which have great role in our life and lead to the modification of attitude,
conducive to personal adjustment and well-being. The environment we create by our behavior, our
attitude, and our actions is the emotional environment and it greatly influence the personality of an
individual. Emotion is an essential element in the adjustive nature of the life process.
Emotional health means emotional fitness and emotional control. A person can be called emotionally
healthy if his emotions are always positive, and has full control over his emotions. On the other hand,
a person who has no control over his emotions or is over powered with negative emotions can be called
emotionally imbalance or emotional ill.
5) SPIRITUAL DIMENSION
In the context of Indian culture, where people are having faith in divine powers, and another distinctive
feature of human life, the presence of spiritual element spiritual health refers to that part of the
individual which reaches out and strives for meaning and purpose in life. Man is a complex multi-
dimensional being. He is not only having spirit, lie also has mind, body and life. But these multiple
sides of his nature are not contradictory. He is indivisible and nothing in him can be rejected.
The strength of a nation rests upon the health of its people. The future of the health of the people
depends, to a large extent, on what is done to promote, improve and preserve the health, as health is
a fundamental human right. To be a good man is the first requisite to success in life and to be a nation
of healthy citizens is the first condition to national prosperity. 'Health' is man's greatest wealth. To
this end he must have adequate knowledge of how to live healthy.
Health is not merely absence of disease, it is positive quality of the living body, of which fitness for
one's works and happiness are distinguishing marks. The term 'health' is not an abstract thing but a
relative concept. In it we see a continuum of freedom from sickness to better health, and positive
health.
What does the word 'Health' signify?
The dictionary meaning of the word health is, "freedom from disease, sound body and mind etc; that
condition in which functions of body and mind are duly discharged". Earlier, health was considered
as a condition of being 'hale' i.e. safe and sound. A more searching and deep look in the subject would
show that health is more than this. The implication of health is that, health may be a continuum along
linear scale, from near death at one end to optimum health of the other.
Optimum health would be that level which would enable the individual to live life to the fullest.
Health is the ability of the body to sustain adaptive efforts and is used to imply body power, vitality,
and ability to resist fatigue. It is sometimes considered as the total outcome of the organic, neuro-
muscular, interpretive, and emotional development.
Health educationists are slowly evolving away from the view that health is merely the treatment and
prevention of illness; to a more open ended view that emphasizes the individual's own responsibility
for his own wellbeing. It may be emphasized that health is neither static nor isolated from external
circumstances; our health depends on the way we relate to our environment and to each other; where
we live the jobs we do, the food we eat, the water we drink and air we breathe are all important. We
are now coming to realize that health is extricable bound up with our minds, environment and ways
of living. Health is basic to learning, to happiness, to success, to effective citizenship, and to
worthwhile living.
,2. DEFINITIONS OF HEALTH
Swami Vivekananda said, "a weak person who has weak body or weak mind can never be master of
a strong soul".
Aristotle has also stated that "a sound mind lives in a sound body."
J F. Williams defines it as "Health is that quality of life that enables an individual to live most and
serve best." Health can be achieved, maintained and improved by supplying the basic physical, mental,
emotional and social needs in proper proportion. In fact health is the key to education, success, good
citizenship and a happy life. Now a days health and its maintenance is being considered as a major
social investment and it is being felt that health involves individual, state and international
responsibility.
World health organization -"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and
not merely an absence of diseases or infirmity".
Oxford English Dictionary -"Health means soundness of body or mind; that condition in which in
which its functions are duly and efficiently discharged".
3. DIMENSIONS OF HEALTH
Authorities in the field of health have recognized three closely interwoven dimensions of health
1. Physical dimension
2. Mental dimension
3. Social dimension
4. Emotional dimension
5. Spiritual dimension
However, recently it has been felt that few more dimensions ofhealth can be added viz emotional,
spiritual, vocational, educational, nutritional, environmental and curative and preventive.
1) PHYSICAL DIMENSION
Physical dimension purely refers to the perfect functioning of the body externally as well as internally.
Externally: having good physique, good appearance, good texture and complexion, attractive features,
well-structured and strong body parts and limbs, well-groomed posture, graceful carriage and efficient
movement.
,Internally: all systems of the human body i.e. digestive, circulatory, respiratory, nervous and
excretory system and sensory organs are functioning optimally. The pulse rate, blood pressure and
body weight being in normal limits according to the age and sex. Physical dimension i.e. physical
health means proper functioning of the systems and physical well-being of the body, cumulative results
being perfect and harmonious functioning of the human body.
2) MENTAL DIMENSION
Mental health is the balanced development of an individual's personality and emotional attitudes which
enables him to live harmoniously with his fellow beings.
Sartorius has defined mental health as "a state of balance between the individual and the surrounding
world, a state of harmony between oneself and others, a coexistence between the realities of the self
and that of other people, and that of the environment". It is influenced by both biological and social
factors. A good mental health implies that an individual has adjusted satisfactorily to his environment,
home, work place and other people of the society, so that he is realizing the maximum amount of
happiness from living.
Generally mental ill health is the results of a combination of various psycho-bio- social factors. Some
of the common causes of mental ill health arc anxiety, tension, fear, insecurity, a sense of inequality
and prejudices etc. However, mental health is not mere absence of mental illness. A mentally healthy
person is free from internal conflicts, feels comfortable and secure about himself, accepts his short-
comings, has self-respect, feels right towards other and is able to feel a part of the group, takes
responsibilities, is able to meet the demands of life, is able to identify and face the problems as they
arise, takes his own decision, sets reasonable goals for himself and has control over his emotions, fear
and anger.
Mental health can be summed up in the words of H.B.English, "Mental health is a relatively enduring
state wherein the person is well adjusted, has a zest for living, and is attaining self-actualization or
self-realization. It is a positive state and not mere absence of mental disorder"
3) SOCIAL DIMENSION
Social health is the ability to get along with one self and with others, to be independent but at the same
time to realize how dependent one is on others.
Donald has defined social well-being as "the quantity and quality of an individual's interpersonal ties
and the extent of involvement with the community"
, Social health is concerned with helping an individual in making personal adjustment, group adjustment
and adjustments as a member of the society. Sound social interaction at the early stage life builds up
correct attitude which go a long way in helping the child to adjust in the society.
Social maladjustment is a problem which is often reflected in reduced mental health. Thus social
interaction becomes a means of achieving mental health. One's social health status is measured not in
terms of personal feelings of well-being but in terms of one's effect on the well-being of others.
Each individual has certain basic social needs which include feelings of belongingness, recognition,
self-respect and love, and fulfillment of these needs result in promoting social health. A socially
healthy person possesses the desirable qualities of integrity, unselfishness, forgiveness, sense of
fairness, co-operation etc.
4) EMOTIONAL DIMENSION
Emotions are the feelings which have great role in our life and lead to the modification of attitude,
conducive to personal adjustment and well-being. The environment we create by our behavior, our
attitude, and our actions is the emotional environment and it greatly influence the personality of an
individual. Emotion is an essential element in the adjustive nature of the life process.
Emotional health means emotional fitness and emotional control. A person can be called emotionally
healthy if his emotions are always positive, and has full control over his emotions. On the other hand,
a person who has no control over his emotions or is over powered with negative emotions can be called
emotionally imbalance or emotional ill.
5) SPIRITUAL DIMENSION
In the context of Indian culture, where people are having faith in divine powers, and another distinctive
feature of human life, the presence of spiritual element spiritual health refers to that part of the
individual which reaches out and strives for meaning and purpose in life. Man is a complex multi-
dimensional being. He is not only having spirit, lie also has mind, body and life. But these multiple
sides of his nature are not contradictory. He is indivisible and nothing in him can be rejected.
