An Introduction to Good Health and Healthy Aging

Health, as defined by the World Health Organization, is “the condition of being fit and healthy” and “not living under the risk of death”. A wide variety of definitions have also been used over the years. The dictionary definition is: “exceeding the normal condition of health; becoming sick.” Another way of looking at it is: “healthiness” : a state of being clean, sound, healthy, strong, or free from disease.” A more specific definition is: “exceeding the minimum safe levels of healthiness for a particular population.” In other words, health means being safe.

What is good health, and what is unhealthy? To find good health, one needs to pay attention to what he/she eats and drink, both in quantity and quality, with an emphasis on healthy eating and drinking habits and physical activity. Being aware of one’s diet helps keep the body physically fit, prevents ill health, and prevents illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, stroke, and certain forms of cancer.

Mental health refers to your ability to cope with everyday activities. Mental illness is any mental illness that interferes with one’s ability to function normally in his/her daily life. As one ages, he/she becomes more susceptible to becoming physically ill, especially if he/she doesn’t take care of himself/herself adequately.