2.6 Explain the importance of being a critical health consumer
1.1.1 What Does ‘Health’ Mean?
Health is a broad and evolving concept that goes beyond just not being sick. Traditionally, many people thought of health simply as the absence of illness, but over time the meaning has expanded to include overall well-being. Different individuals and organisations define health in various ways, and these definitions continue to develop as our understanding grows. For example, health can be seen subjectively – how healthy you feel – or objectively – what medical tests and observations show. Both views are important: a person might feel healthy (subjective) even when a doctor’s examination finds an issue (objective), or vice versa. It is important to define health clearly because how we understand “health” influences the goals we set, the care we provide, and the aspects of well-being we pay attention to. A narrow definition might overlook mental or social factors, whereas a broad definition guides us to consider the whole person’s quality of life.
1.1.2 Historical Understandings of Health
In the past, definitions of health were much simpler and more limited. The biomedical model dominated early Western medicine – under this model, health was defined as the absence of disease or infirmity. In other words, if a person wasn’t visibly sick or injured, they were considered healthy. This one-dimensional view failed to consider mental, emotional, or social wellbeing. For example, a person with no physical illness but suffering from depression or extreme stress might have been labeled “healthy” by an old standard, even though they were not truly well. Pre-20th century beliefs often linked health to forces like balance and spirituality. In ancient times, the humoral theory claimed that health depended on a balance of bodily fluids (humours), and illness meant an imbalance. Treatments in those eras—such as bloodletting, herbal remedies, or prayer—aimed to restore balance or appease spirits rather than address mental or social factors. These historical approaches had significant limitations: they did not recognise psychological conditions or social wellbeing as part of health, and medical care was focused on curing diseases rather than promoting overall wellness.