Health can be defined negatively, as the absence of illness, functionally as the ability to cope with everyday activities, or positively, as fitness and well-being (Blaxter 1990). In any organism, health is a form of homeostasis. This is a state of balance, with inputs and outputs of energy and matter in equilibrium (allowing for growth). Health also implies good prospects for continued survival. In sentient creatures such as humans, health is a broader concept.

The World Health Organization defines health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and does not consist only of the absence of disease or infirmity." Though this is a useful and accurate definition, some would consider it idealistic and non-realistic. Using the WHO definition classifies 70-95% of people as unhealthy.

The most solid aspects of wellness that fit firmly in the realm of medicine are the environmental health, nutrition, disease prevention , and public health matters that can be investigated and assist in measuring well-being.

Related topics

• Disease
• Health professional
• Health science
• Medicine
• Longevity
• Wellness (alternative medicine)

Health is a state of well-being, of being hale or whole. Individual health is founded on a healthy (whole) family, healthy(whole) community and healthy(whole) society within a healthy(whole) world. As it is recognised that the health of a single cell in a person depends on the total health of the person so it is with the individual in society. Few examples of such healthy societies exist in today's world, usually they are isolated like the Hunzas of northern india. . Scott Wiliamson Dr.(1965) Science, Synthesis & Sanity ISBN 0 7073 0259 5 . Adams, Dr. Patch (1993) Gesundheit!: Bringing Good Health to You, the Medical System, and Society Through Physician Service, Complementary Therapies, Humor, and Joy. ISBN 0 89281 781

Antonovsky, Aaron (1984) "The Sense of Coherence as a Determinant of Health". In J.D. Matarazzo (Ed) Behavioral Health: A Handbook of Health Enhancement and Disease Prevention. New York
Horder, Lord. (1938)  Health & A Day  ISBN 0 574 995 6
Hunter, David (2003) Public Health Policy  ISBN0 7456 25647 5
Pearse, Innes H   The Quality of Life, The Peckham Approach to Human Ethology  ISBN 7073 0141 6  
Lovelock, James   Healing Gaia  (1991)  ISBN 0517578484
Bowling, Ann (1997) Measuring Health  ISBN 0 335 19754

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