14 Apr 2012
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Chapter 1 Taking charge of your health 1/10/2012 2:39:00 PM
What is Health?
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental abd social well-
being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
- World Health Organization (WHO), 1948
“Health is, therefore, seen as a resource for everyday life ...
Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal
resources, as well as physical capabilities.”
Health should be something that enables us to do our daily duties and
achieve our goals.
What is Wellness?
An expanded idea of health
The ability to live life fully, with vitality and meaning.
We are not talking about just physical aspects of health. Some ppl
might be physically disabled, but still lead a meaningful life.
Largely determined by the _decisions you
make______________ ____________ about how you live your life
Not a static goal but a dynamic process of change and
growth.
Wellness constantly changes day by day = dynamic
Encompasses 7 interrelated dimensions
7 Dimensions of Wellness
1) Physical
2) Interpersonal/Social
3) Mental/Intellectual
4) Occupational
5) Emotional
6) Environmental
7) Spiritual
*These 7 dimensions interact continuously, influencing and being
influenced by one another
Physical Wellness
Requires healthy eating, exercise, learning about
disease, getting regular check-ups, etc.
Influences quality of life and how many years will
live*_______________________________= a personal sense of
physical and mental health. Requires a full range of
_______________________ to enable people to work, play, and
maintain satisfying relationships.
Interpersonal/Social Wellness
Involves learning effective Communication skills,
developing the capacity for intimacy, and cultivating a support
network
Requires participating in and contributing to your
community, country, and world
) Mental/Intellectual Wellness
Includes an openness to new ideas, a capacity to
___________________ and to learn new skills
The ability to _____________________
_____________________ is one of the most important aspects of
wellness
Occupational Wellness
A sense of personal satisfaction derived from career/career
development
Involves attaining a attaining a work life balance. Eg: if you hate
your job, it will affect you emotionally, physically and so on.
Emotional Wellness
Includes optimism, trust, self-esteem, self- control, an
ability to share feelings.
Requires monitoring feelings,identifying obstacles
toemotional well-being, & finding solutions to emotional problems
Most closely related to your feelings
Environmental Wellness
Personal health depends on the health of the planet Eg: violence,
pollution.
Requires learning about and protecting yourself against such
hazards
Also involves taking action—doing what you can to reduce or
eliminate these hazards.
Spiritual Wellness
Includes having a set of beleifs, principles, or values
that give meaning and purpose ot one‘s life.
Involves the capacity for love, compassion,
forgiveness, joy, altruism – being concerned for the welfare of
others or selfless, and fulfillment
A resource for ↓ personal stress
Some health professionals believe it is the core of
wellness
Research has shown that ppl who are more religious tend to be more happy
and have less stress.
Infectious vs. Chronic Diseases
Infectious: communicable from one person to another
• Tuberculosis, diptheria, etc. • Common cold• HIV/AIDS, SARS,
H1N1
Chronic: develop and become worse over a period of
time, often caused by lifestyle factors.
3 leading causes of death in Canada -
• Cancer• Heart Disease • Stroke
Life Expectancy and Major Health Threats Early 1900s:
• Life expectancy = 58.5(M), 60.6(F) • Health threats = infectious
diseases
(e.g., cholera, tuberculosis, pneumonia)