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Health

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Health and medicine

   Health is the functional and/or metabolic efficiency of an organism, at
   any moment in time, at both the cellular and global levels. All
   individual organisms, from the simplest to the most complex, vary
   between optimum health and zero health (dead).

   In the medical field, health is commonly defined as an organism's
   ability to efficiently respond to challenges (stressors) and
   effectively restore and sustain a "state of balance," known as
   homeostasis.

   Another widely accepted definition of health is that of the World
   Health Organization "WHO". It states that "health is a state of
   complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the
   absence of disease or infirmity". In more recent years, this statement
   has been modified to include the ability to lead a "socially and
   economically productive life." The WHO definition is not without
   criticism, as some argue that health cannot be defined as a state at
   all, but must be seen as a process of continuous adjustment to the
   changing demands of living and of the changing meanings we give to
   life. The WHO definition is therefore considered by many as an
   idealistic goal rather than a realistic proposition.

   The LaLonde report suggested that there are four general determinants
   of health which he called "human biology", "environment", "lifestyle",
   and "healthcare organization" Thus, health is maintained through the
   science and practice of medicine, but can also be improved by
   individual effort. Physical fitness, weight loss, a healthy diet,
   stress management training and stopping smoking and other substance
   abuse are examples of steps to improve one's health. Workplace programs
   are recognized by an increasingly large number of companies for their
   value in improving health and well-being of their employees, and
   increasing morale, loyalty and productivity at work. A company may
   provide a gym with exercise equipment, start smoking cessation
   programs, provide nutrition, weight or stress management training.
   Other programs may include health risk assessments, health screenings
   and body mass index monitoring.

   An increasing measure of the health of populations is height, which is
   strongly regulated by nutrition and health care, among other standard
   of living and quality of life matters. The study of human growth, its
   regulators and its implications is known as auxology.

   Wellness is a term sometimes used to describe the psychological state
   of being healthy, but is most often used in the field of alternative
   medicine to describe one's state of being.

Exercise

   U.S. Marine emerges from the water upon completing the swimming portion
   of a triathlon.
   Enlarge
   U.S. Marine emerges from the water upon completing the swimming portion
   of a triathlon.

   Physical exercise is the performance of some activity in order to
   develop or maintain physical fitness and overall health. It is often
   directed toward also honing athletic ability or skill. Frequent and
   regular physical exercise is an important component in the prevention
   of some of the diseases of affluence such as cancer, heart disease,
   cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

   Exercises are generally grouped into three types depending on the
   overall effect they have on the human body:
     * Flexibility exercises such as stretching improve the range of
       motion of muscles and joints.
     * Aerobic exercises such as walking and running focus on increasing
       cardiovascular endurance.
     * Anaerobic exercises such as weight training or sprinting increase
       short-term muscle strength.

   Physical exercise is considered important for maintaining physical
   fitness including healthy weight; building and maintaining healthy
   bones, muscles, and joints; promoting physiological well-being;
   reducing surgical risks; and strengthening the immune system.

   Proper nutrition is at least as important to health as exercise. When
   exercising it becomes even more important to have good diet to ensure
   the body has the correct ratio of macronutrients whilst providing ample
   micronutrients, this is to aid the body with the recovery process
   following strenuous exercise. When the body falls short of proper
   nutrition, it gets into starvation mode developed through evolution and
   depends onto fat content for survival. Research suggest that the
   production of thyroid hormones can be negatively affected by repeated
   bouts of dieting and calorie restriction.

   Proper rest and recovery is also as important to health as exercise,
   otherwise the body exists in a permanently injured state and will not
   improve or adapt adequately to the exercise.

   The above two factors can be compromised by psychological compulsions (
   eating disorders such as exercise bulimia, anorexia, and other
   bulimias), misinformation, a lack of organization, or a lack of
   motivation. These all lead to a decreased state of health.

   Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness can occur after any kind of exercise,
   particularly if the body is in an unconditioned state relative to that
   exercise.

Hygiene

   Hygiene is the maintenance of healthy practices. In modern terminology,
   this is usually regarded as a particular reference to cleanliness. The
   term Hygiene originates as a reference to Hygieia, who was a daughter
   of Asclepius and the goddess of health, cleanliness and sanitation. The
   related term personal grooming/grooming means to enhance one's physical
   appearance or appeal for others, by removing obvious imperfections in
   one's appearance or improving one's hygiene.

   Outward signs of good hygiene include the absence of visible dirt
   (including dust and stains on clothing) or of bad odour/smells. Since
   the development of the germ theory of disease, hygiene has come to mean
   any practice leading to the absence of harmful levels of bacteria.

   Good hygiene is an aid to health, beauty, comfort, and social
   interactions. It directly aids in disease prevention and/or disease
   isolation. (That is, good hygiene will help keep one healthy and thus
   avoid illness. If one is ill, good hygiene can reduce one's
   contagiousness to others.)

   Washing (with water) is the most common example of hygienic behaviour.
   Washing is often done with soap or detergent which helps to remove oils
   and to break up dirt particles so they may be washed away.

   Hygienic practices—such as frequent hand washing or the use of boiled
   (and thus sterilized) water in surgery/medical operations—have a
   profound impact on reducing the spread of disease. This is because they
   kill or remove disease-causing microbes (germs) in the immediate
   surroundings. For instance, washing one's hands after using the toilet
   and before handling food reduces the chance of spreading E. coli
   bacteria and Hepatitis A, both of which are spread from fecal
   contamination of food.

   Adequate hygiene requires an adequate and convenient supply of clean
   water. In much of the developing world maintaining an acceptable level
   of cleanliness is difficult or impossible for much of the population
   due to lack of adequate water supply and sanitation. This results in
   the rapid spread and extent of diseases such as trachoma which are rare
   in the developed world.

Nutrition

   The updated USDA food pyramid, published in 2005, is a general
   nutrition guide for recommended food consumption.
   Enlarge
   The updated USDA food pyramid, published in 2005, is a general
   nutrition guide for recommended food consumption.

   Nutrition is a science which studies the relationship between diet and
   states of health and disease. Dieticians are Health professionals who
   are specialized in this area of expertise. They are also the only
   highly trained health professionals able to provide safe,
   evidence-based and accurate dietary advice and interventions.

   Between the extremes of optimal health and death from starvation or
   malnutrition, there is an array of disease states that can be caused or
   alleviated by changes in diet. Deficiencies, excesses and imbalances in
   diet can produce negative impacts on health, which may lead to diseases
   such as scurvy, obesity or osteoporosis, as well as psychological and
   behavioural problems. Moreover, excessive ingestion of elements that
   have no apparent role in health, (e.g. lead, mercury, PCBs, dioxins),
   may incur toxic and potentially lethal effects, depending on the dose.
   The science of nutrition attempts to understand how and why specific
   dietary aspects influence health.

Mental health

   Mental health is a concept that refers to a human individual's
   emotional and psychological well-being. Merriam-Webster defines mental
   health as "A state of emotional and psychological well-being in which
   an individual is able to use his or her cognitive and emotional
   capabilities, function in society, and meet the ordinary demands of
   everyday life."

   According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is no one
   "official" definition of mental health. Cultural differences,
   subjective assessments, and competing professional theories all affect
   how "mental health" is defined. In general, most experts agree that
   "mental health" and " mental illness" are not opposites. In other
   words, the absence of a recognized mental disorder is not necessarily
   an indicator of mental health.

   One way to think about mental health is by looking at how effectively
   and successfully a person functions. Feeling capable and competent;
   being able to handle normal levels of stress, maintain satisfying
   relationships, and lead an independent life; and being able to "bounce
   back," or recover from difficult situations, are all signs of mental
   health.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
