WHO Definition of Health
In 1947, the World Health Organization defined health in a new way,

“health is the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease.”

This definition acknowledges that health includes the mental aspects of our being and the fact that as human beings, we need social networks in order to thrive as well. It depicts the metaphysical, which some might say is related to the spiritual dimension, and the secular aspects of health. Some have thought this to be a much broader and practical way to think about health.

However, others have argued that using the term “complete well-being” is unrealistic because even at their best, most people still feel there are areas of their health that could use improvement. It is interesting to discuss our thoughts about health and to understand that health is a subjective rather than an objective concept.