"How are you?" This question comes from our lips several times. Be it out of pure politeness, with genuine interest or as introductory words for a conversation. With this key question, we humans inquire about the well-being of others. However, this rarely opens the door to our well-being and reveals the true answer. Because most of the time it only remains with a half-honest "Well, and you?" It's strange, but why is that? Health is one of the most important things in our lives and we should talk about it. No, notshould. About it.We can talk about it. That sounds much better. And that is why we are talking about it now. About health and illness, about life span and Health span, and what role modern medicine plays in it and what you can do with it. No, notcan.Have toshould be the answer again. And this time the door to our well-being will not remain closed, but will be opened wide.
Illness versus health
To get closer to the answer to the title question, it helps to look at the other side of the coin a little more closely. Because without diseases, one is, to put it bluntly, simply healthy. Sounds logical, but is that actually true? Let's take a quick look at the World Health Organization's definition of health. It defines health as aA state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence or cure of disease or infirmitySo there is much more to it than just the absence of physical suffering. The immense influence of emotions and personal attitudes should not be underestimated.
Health is a subjectively perceived state that cannot be diagnosed. There are many grey areas between illness and health: one can be ill but still feel healthy. Conversely, a person can feel ill but appear to be completely healthy from a clinical perspective. But before we get completely philosophical, let's quickly get back to the point.
The modern view of health
These grey areas show us that health and illness are not completely contradictory concepts. When it comes to well-being, there is no all-or-nothing thinking. According to the motto, either black or white, day and night, big or small. Rather, health and illness are extreme poles of a common continuum. If you mix the colours black and white in a paint box, you get a wide variety of shades of grey. In more scientific terms, health expert Klaus Hurrelmann puts it:According to this understanding, health is a pleasant and by no means self-evident state of equilibrium between risk and protective factors, which must be restored at every point in one’s life history.If this balance is achieved, then joy and well-being can be gained from life. If this is not the case, then one becomes ill. Illness is a normal occurrence in human life. And if one is ill, then one goes to the doctor. But do one have to be ill to go to the doctor? No.
Revolutionizing the way we think about health
A little excursion into the world of cinematography. In Christopher Nolan's film Inception, Cobb, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, explains that there is nothing more contagious or resistant than a thought. Neither a virus nor a bacterium, but a simple idea. "Think notof a blue elephant" and this very elephant appears before our mind's eye. This example par excellence underlines the power of our mind's eye. This article is not about the big picture, but rather about the idea and thought behind Beyond Lifespan. The subject and main focus of today's medicine is mainly on illness and sick people, rather than health and healthy people.Even healthy people have to go to the doctor.Not only when it is too late and he is already ill. Because constantly chasing after disease processes leads to a severe reduction in the quality of life. Just thinknotabout it!
sick care ≠ health care
The aforementioned prioritization of sick people in the health system led to the division of medicine into three strategies. On the one hand, cure, i.e. healing of diseases, and preventive medicine, through prevention, early detection and mitigation of diseases. On the other hand, there is a further stepnearof prevention and curative medicine, theHealth promotionThe object of health promotion is not the sick, but the healthy person. The crucial question here iswhy do people stay healthy, rather than why do we get sick! Health promotion tells us the answer. Its aim is to maintain and improve health by strengthening protective factors in healthy people. Health promotion is therefore about protective factors rather than risk factors. In contrast to prevention, these health-supporting measures are non-specific and not disease-oriented. ThePreventing diseaseandPromoting healthare therefore different medical approaches. Primary prevention and health promotion, two terms, one goal: to enable people to live long, healthy lives.
Tools to promote health
That sounds very tempting, of course. To reach old age, but fitter, healthier and more self-determined than before. How can you imagine that? The answer is obvious. Health promotion aims at a process that enables all people to have a greater degree of self-determination over their health and thereby empowers them.
You can imagine health promotion as a medical toolbox, loaded with countless tools for the well-being of the human body. It contains a wide variety of resources ready to support people. We all know what risk factors are. The usual refrain of not smoking and drinking less alcohol. Protective factors are the exact opposite. Here, people are active protagonists and not supporting roles in the drama of their health. While the doctor has an important, supporting role, people take responsibility for their own health. Our most important tools are enough exercise, a healthy diet, enough sleep, an optimistic attitude to life and social cohesion.
Medicine, a tool for health
In order for the toolbox to have its full effect, adjustments to lifestyle and social environment are required. These restructurings do not mean that you have to completely turn your life around and turn it upside down. Even just thinking about your own health can move mountains. Starting with small steps, you eventually become aware of your well-being and can strengthen your body with additional protective factors. The German philosopher Ernst Bloch once defined health as "something to be enjoyed, not consumed." We all alternate every day. That is beyond question. ButWhowe age is in our hands.
Sources
Literature:
World Health Organization (WHO). Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. 1986.
Martin Harbour:What is the difference between prevention and health promotion?In: Prevention – Journal for Health Promotion, No. 1 2004, pp. 8–11.
World Health Organization. (1946). Constitution of the World Health Organization.New York, NY.
World Health Organization. Health Promotion Glossary. Geneva 1986 and 1998 WHO/HPR/HEP/98.1 36
Klaus Hurrelmann:Health Sciences.Springer, Heidelberg 1999.
Klaus Hurrelmann, Matthias Richter:Health and medical sociology.8th edition. Beltz Juventa, Weinheim 2013.
Klaus Hurrelmann, Oliver Razum (eds.):Handbook of Health Sciences.6th edition. Beltz Juventa, Weinheim 2016.
Badura, B. (1992a): Health promotion and prevention from a sociological perspective.
In: Paulus, P. (ed.): Prevention and health promotion. Perspectives for psychosocial practice. Cologne: GwG-Verlag, pp. 43–52.
graphics
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