Health And Illness

Submitted By Jessie-Dhaliwal
Words: 3242
Pages: 13
Open Document
Health and illness are two of the most difficult words to define; philosophers, politicians, various literacy critics, medics and the general public all have different interpretations of the terms health and illness. The World Health Organization has a simple definition of health as follows: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. When the elements of this definition are not fulfilled then the individual may be regarded as ill. However there are many other definitions of health and illness, some of which only take into account the bodily functions whereas others take into account a lot more, such as a person’s social situation.
The medical approach to health is to think of the body as a machine, and a body is seen as healthy if all the organs of the body, including the mind, are working properly with no abnormalities. Any abnormal symptoms of the body or ineffective functioning of the body is seen as a sick or unhealthy body. Therefore a medical professional’s definition of health would be the absence of disease and high levels of function of the human body. With a medical approach, if someone is seen as ill, a professional may prescribe drugs or advise surgery to redeem healthiness in an individual. In contrast a member of the general public may see healthy over a wider spectrum than a medic, taking into account a person’s social wellbeing as well as a person’s physical and mental wellbeing. A member of the general public will most likely take into account a person’s whole lifestyle whilst determining whether a person is ill or healthy, including their fitness levels, social class, mental wellbeing, eating habits, sleeping habits, as well as whether an individual carries any sickness or diseases. To a medic someone with diabetes will be deemed as ill due to the pancreas not working effectively, however to a regular person they may be seen as healthy despite having the condition as they can still carry out regular every day activities. Likewise, an overweight person may be seen as healthy by a medical professional if they have no overlaying problems, whereas a general member of the public may describe them as unhealthy or unfit due to lack of fitness and eating habits.

Different illnesses and diseases attract different forms of attention, some are stigmatised whilst others are approached with sympathy. Illnesses that generally attract sympathy include type 1 diabetes, heart related illnesses such as coronary heart disease and cancer. However even some of these are stigmatised in ways, for example coronary heart disease can be a result of unhealthy eating and lung cancer can be a result of smoking over a long period of time. A number of stigmatised illnesses include leprosy, mental illness, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, obesity and drug and alcoholism. Recent research has proved that in the case of epilepsy that it can be more difficult for sufferers to manage the social stigma than the actual seizures caused by the condition. Other research has shown that in the case of HIV/AIDS, the stigma liked to these diseases can limit access to treatments and also affect sufferer’s relationships and identities. If a person became infected with HIV, whether homosexual or heterosexual, there is a tendency for some to blame the illness on lack of caution in using protection during sexual relations. Therefore they are sometimes seen as responsible for their illness and not seen as deserving of sympathy. This is similar to sexually transmitted diseases. Even now there are those who view HIV, AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases not as a sickness but as a punishment. Dr B Weiner wrote in article Sin or Sickness “Perceptions of controllability and personal responsibility mediate reactions of sympathy and anger”. The diagnosis of mental health continues to attract substantial stigma in today’s western society. Similarly, the mental
Show More

Related Documents: Health And Illness

Health Care Disparities

In modern societies, healthcare is not only a service but a fundamental right and determinant of societal well-being, economic stability, and social equity. Effective healthcare policy implementation and comprehensive access to medical services are essential pillars for addressing health disparities, enhancing societal well-being, and fostering economic prosperity. This essay will present the critical importance of prioritizing these aspects of healthcare to build healthier, fairer, and more prosperous…

Words 287 - Pages 2

Essay about The Modern Healthcare Maze

The Modern Health Care Maze: Development and Effects of the Four-Party System. Kroncke, Charles;White, Ronald F. The Independent Review; Summer 2009; 14, 1; ProQuest Research Library. Pg. 45 This article was written by Charles Kroncke and Ronald F. White. Kroncke is an associate professor of economics and White is a professor of philosophy, both at the College of Mount St. Joseph. I enjoyed reading this article. The authors asked a lot of questions and used relative statistics to back up their…

Words 1151 - Pages 5

Free Market Economy Vs Command Economy

characteristics of this system would be that self-interest is the motivating force of the economy.(Johnson,2005). These systems are work in contrast with each other, while both harbor many bad qualities they do also possess benefits that to the economy. This essay will aim to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both the free market…

Words 984 - Pages 4

Concerns formed from opputunity Essays

hands. In Naomi Klein’s “Fences of Enclosure, Windows of Possibility”, and Ian Bremmer’s “Democracy in Cyberspace: What Technology Can and Cannot Do for Us”, both authors discuss new opportunities as well as barriers in modern development. If Klein were to comment on Bremmer’s essay, she would agree with the fact that Bremmer discusses how people can overcome fences that are set before them. Both authors interpret the way technology has the ability to assist or bring down the efforts of activists.…

Words 1923 - Pages 8

Gender Wage Gap

a persistent global phenomenon, continues to underscore systemic inequities in the workforce. The wage gap not only affects women, but also exacerbates disparities faced by marginalized groups like LGBTQ+ individuals and transgender people. This essay argues that the gender wage gap, when combined with other forms of intersecting discrimination, perpetuates systemic inequities in the workforce. By examining the challenges faced by marginalized groups and drawing upon insights from human capital…

Words 1974 - Pages 8

Gender Wage Gap

diverse industries despite possessing similar qualifications. The existence of discriminatory hiring practices and limited access to resources worsens disparities and creates significant barriers to career advancement. In response…

Words 2291 - Pages 10

Summative Assessment Essay

THE SCOPE OF MENTAL HEALTH SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT This essay will look into the scenario of Cheryl, a 66 year old widow, who has been referred to the community mental health team by her G.P with concerns over her well-being. It will explore the possible needs and mental health issues that Cheryl may be experiencing and how a multi-disciplinary team could adopt the recovery model of care to support her. As suggested by the National Framework for Mental Health the majority of people with mental…

Words 3033 - Pages 13

Mcdonaldization Of Social Work

McDonaldization is a sociological term that is often referred to the gradual and persistent rationalization of modern world societies. In the McDonaldization process, almost every task, regardless of its nature or type, is broken down, and logical principles are transformed to vital principles. In Donna Dustin’s text, The McDonaldization of Social Work, she explains that the process of McDonaldization outlines efficient methodologies that can be used to attain a positive result. In this, McDonalds…

Words 2328 - Pages 10

Offer a Critique of What John Rawls Meant by ‘Fair Equality of Opportunity’ Essay

Q. Offer a critique of what John Rawls meant by ‘Fair Equality of Opportunity’ Introduction: The purpose of this essay is to discuss what ‘Fair Equality of Opportunity’ means and John Rawls view point on this subject. Rawls was a well known philosopher from the USA and arguably the most important political philosopher of the 20th century. Rawls is well known for using the basic structure of society as his subject matter and most famously for his work entitled, A Theory of Justice (1971). Here he…

Words 2159 - Pages 9

Final Presentation Essay

Student’s Name Instructor’s Name LA 202 Date Lowering Meat Consumption to Better the World Meat has become a staple in the American diet. According to an article published by NPR, an average American was eating 207.7 pounds of meat per year in 2010 (Barclay). After research came to light linking cholesterol and saturated fat found in meat products to heart disease, new food and health guidelines have suggested lowering the amount of meat eaten in the average diet. The new USDA food guidelines…

Words 2111 - Pages 9