Health is an overall condition of mental, physical and social well being where infirmity and disease are absent. Over the years various definitions have also been applied to the concept of health. These may include happiness with well being, personal well being, emotional well being, physiological health, and social support. Health is an essential part of a person’s quality of life.
Mental health is essential to well-being. It refers to your ability to enjoy life and cope with day to day challenges. Mental health includes aspects such as your ability to experience happiness, your coping skills, your ability to manage stress, healthy relationship, your ability to make responsible decisions, your sense of humor, your sense of control and your spirituality. There are several theories that seek to define the nature of this condition but most research indicates that there is a strong genetic component in addition to environmental factors and that people from the same family may be prone to the condition. Anxiety and depression can often be a major factor in someone’s lack of mental health and many times they will see little correlation between the two.
The focus of health care and public health is to prevent diseases and illnesses before they start to manifest. Early detection of conditions like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer and other illnesses reduces their severity and the length of time they last. A focus on prevention rather than treatment is more helpful than finding a cure. People who suffer from health conditions are encouraged to look after themselves and to get regular medical check-ups and screenings. Maintaining a healthy weight is very important in terms of general health because excess weight adds unnecessary stress to the body and puts added pressure on the kidneys and heart.
