How should we define health?

In an ever-changing world, how should health be defined? People are living longer with chronic and life-limiting diseases. The World Health Organization (n.d.) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” This definition does cover a person's social well-being, which I find is often missed. I like this definition, as someone can still have a disease and be considered “healthy,” but needing to have complete well-being is limiting as some people with a health diagnosis would still view themselves as healthy. Is this definition too simple?

Svalastog et al. (2017) defines health as “a relative state in which one is able to function well physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually to express the full range of one’s unique potentialities within the environment in which one lives.” Furthermore, health and illness are on a continuum and fluctuate throughout one's life. This definition captures how a person’s state of well-being, of health, cannot be compared to anyone else, and it has the potential to change. When we ask someone how their health is, we will only get a snapshot of how they are feeling at that moment. Roll with Cole & Charisma (2022) is an excellent example of this. You can find this couple on many social media platforms. Cole is a person with quadriplegia that occurred when he was 17 years old. Charisma is his wife, and their social media presence shows how their health fluctuates daily. This young couple promotes positivity and inclusivity but is also very open about the challenges.

I also see how the population views health can fluctuate in my healthcare profession and how each person reacts differently to similar circumstances. Two clients with the same diagnosis can view their health on opposite ends of the spectrum. Client one will accept the diagnosis, be happy with life, and view themselves as healthy. Where Client two takes the diagnosis negatively and views themselves as unhealthy. Humans are inherently unique and different, so why shouldn’t the definition of health be the same?