Health, according to the World Health Organization, is “the condition of a person’s body at the time of his birth and in the age of his life.” Various definitions have also been used over the years for various purposes. Some have even given it a definition as the state or condition that an individual’s body is in at the time of his birth and at the time of his death. For those who are very much interested in health, the definition of health can be compared or contrasted with the definition of death.

According to the third definition, health is a state of adequate nutrition, cleanliness, security and quality of life. The three elements are interdependent and they cannot be separated. Health involves physical environment, human-kind interaction and culture. The physical environment refers to the general physical condition of a place or setting.

The human-kind interaction and culture refer to the interactions that take place between humans, animals, plants and other living things. The social factors include the extent of social organization by people in their environment, the degree of toleration of persons in the society and the tolerance of physical environment. These elements interact and cause the occurrence or development of diseases. Diseases are either infectious or malignant.

According to the second definition, health status is the result of the determinants identified by the sociological, psychological and environmental factors. There are no exceptions to this rule. These determinants can be categorized into psychological and environmental factors. These two determinants can affect the health status differently.

The third definition says that good health is that state where “all the major components of body functioning are at their highest or when all the minor components are at their minimum”. This definition includes the mental health and emotional health. It also includes the functional capacity of the body. A person who is mentally healthy will be able to cope with the environmental and social conditions and will be capable of resisting diseases that are common.

The mental aspects refer to the ability to learn new things and new ideas. In developed countries, where most people have had no formal education, they have developed a mental habit called cognitive avoidance or CFS. This habit is caused by the low level of educational opportunities and exposure to Western culture. By acquiring cognitive avoidance through learned habits, we protect our bodies against diseases. This can be countered by developing a good healthful diet and by having a regular and consistent physical activity.