What Is Health?

What is health? How would you define it? How does your culture, community, or country define it? How does your healthcare practitioner define it? These are important questions to ask as the answers to them (whether we know them or not) will influence our health journey.

Let's attempt the impossible: Defining "Health."

• Merriam-Webster defines health as, "The condition of being sound in body, mind, or spirit," "Freedom from physical disease or pain," "The general condition of the body," "Condition in which someone or something is thriving or doing well: Well-Being."

• The Oxford English Dictionary offers us some historic definitions of health: "The condition of a person's body or mind," "The state of being physically and mentally healthy, " and "How successful something is."

• The Cambridge Dictionary considers health on multiple levels from individual health to the health of systems, organizations, and communities: "The condition of the body or mind and the degree to which it is free from illness, or the state of being well" and "The condition of something that changes or develops, such as an organization or system."

• The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as, "A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

What stands out or jumps out for you in these definitions? Some words that struck me while considering these definitions included "soundness," "freedom," and "thriving." When is the last time you used any of those words to describe your health status or health journey? A couple of other concepts which resonate with me include health being MORE THAN the absence of disease or infirmity and MORE than physical. Let's explore...

In Pursuit of Health and Wellness:

More than the Absence of Disease, Injury, and Infirmity:

As a cancer survivor, the WHO definition really struck a chord with me when I first heard it. I recall being deemed "cancer free" (as "cancer free" as one can be) at the age of 20 and thinking, "Ok great... I am alive. But how do I get back to living? I may be void of something (cancer), but this void/vacuum doesn't feel like health?" True, I had survived a bad thing; however, there is a big difference between surviving and thriving. For me, being deemed cancer free marked the start of the hardest part of my journey. The post-cancer reality and journey meant adjusting to and accepting new normals, being dependent on doctors, navigating medications, grappling with the chronic nature of my thyroidless condition, etc. I won one battle but entered another ('tis life am I right?). For this reason, I actually sometimes struggle with calling myself a "survivor." I struggle to claim this identity for I still feel like a warrior. Though I am no longer fighting AGAINST cancer, I am still fighting FOR life after cancer. I may be a "survivor" but deep down I am an aspiring thriver. All this to say, I believe health is far more than the absence of disease, illness, injury, etc. I don't desire the absence of malady, I desire the presence of health, well-being, and wholeness. My health journey is still a work in progress.

Currently, as it relates to cancer, I would say I'm actively in phase 3:

Phase 1: Presence of Malady (cancer diagnosis and treatment)

Phase 2: Absence of Malady (being deemed cancer-free)

Phase 3: Presence of Health (pursuing and cultivating health in all its forms)

More than Physical:

The definitions above also suggest health is more than physical. They suggest health extends to body, mind, and spirit. The WHO even offers social health as part of the definition. This expanded perspective of health (extending beyond the physical) is consistent with numerous studies spanning various fields from sociology and anthropology to gerontology and medicine. Have you heard of the Blue Zones? What about the Wellness Wheel? These offer further examples of health being far more than physical.

Blue Zones:

Blue Zones are the places in the world where people live the longest. They have conducted health and longevity studies in these areas and made some interesting and insightful observations. Disclaimer: Keep in mind, the emphasis and starting point of these studies is longevity, so they have defined and studied health primarily through the lens of longevity (certainly a desired perk and possible outcome of healthy living; however, some may choose NOT to define health based on longevity). It is possible to exhibit a full and healthy life regardless of its length. Tomorrow is not guaranteed to any of us. We mustn't make the mistake of confusing health and longevity for these are not synonyms. Regardless of how valiantly we pursue "health," extending the number of our days is not within our control, but improving the quality of our days can be. So consider this a disclaimar that the ruler used in these studies was life length, and life length does not equate to health. Still, observations from these studies offer some enlightening insights into health and wellness promotion.

The Blue Zones:

Ikaria, Greece

Loma Linda, California, USA

Sardinia, Italy (highest concentration of male centenarians)

Okinawa, Japan (women over 70 are the "longest-lived population")

Nicoya, Costa Rica

Results of Blue Zones studies:

Commonalities amongst these communities led to the identification of the Blue Zones "Power 9."

The "POWER 9" concepts span four broad categories:

Movement (move naturally), right outlook (purpose and downshift), eat wisely (80% rule, plant slant, and wine at 5), and connection (right tribe, loved ones first, and belonging).

The Wheel of Wellness: 8 Dimensions of Wellness

Another visual which can help us imagine a broader picture of health and wellness is known as the Wellness Wheel or the "8 Dimensions of Wellness." Though I am unsure exactly where this concept originated, it offers another poignant visual representation of health being more than physical. Physical health is merely one piece of the pie. Notice how the pieces of this pie interrelate and interplay with one another. Each piece inevitably influences and impacts other areas. Decline in one area can lead to decline in another. Likewise, improvement in one area can lead to improvement in another.

In Conclusion:

I write this in a corner of the world where much emphasis is placed on certain pieces of this wellness pie while other areas are largely neglected. When we overemphasize one area, we are bound to experience burnout, imbalance, and even unhealth (": lack of health or vigor," according to Merriam-Webster). To cultivate a sustainably healthy, full, and whole life, consideration must be given to all areas. Consider this an invitation...a challenge...to take a personal inventory. Examine your life. What is health to you? What stands out to you in the definitions provided above? Is health more than the absence of disease, injury, or illness? Is health more than physical? What is the state of your wellness wheel? Are you missing any pieces? Would you add any pieces? Which areas exhibit and/or promote wellness? Which areas lack it? Which areas are natural strengths? Which areas leave room for improvement? Consider where you have grown and gained ground... and where you have neglected or lost ground? What is one small thing you can do to maintain the good pieces? What is one small thing you can do to improve the lacking areas?

I share all of this as a fellow seeker of wellness, a student of health, and as an aspiring thriver... one with a deep, inherent desire for wholeness. I do not claim to have obtained it. I certainly do not have a magic key. I simply hunger and thirst for wellness and believe in the pursuit of health and wholeness. I also strongly believe that perfection is unattainable this side of heaven. Still, we can journey onward in our pursuit of On Pointe Living.

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