Health is an indivisible concept that relates to the body, mind and spirit. It is also a state where sickness, infirmity and disease are absent. To ensure health, we need to identify and appreciate our individual health needs, develop positive attitudes towards health and take active steps towards achieving them. We could achieve these aims by adopting a holistic approach to healthcare that acknowledges the interdependence of our body, mind and spirit and makes every effort to promote good health. Holistic healthcare therefore, takes care of the body, mind and spirit by addressing the needs of all three at the same time. This would enable us to provide a better quality of life and avoid the negative effects of health on the person.
The first step towards the development of holistic healthcare is to recognize the multiple health issues that affect us. This would help us in the identification and prevention of health problems and hence help in the control and elimination of the various health issues. Our lifestyles have become a source of stress and thus leading to many health issues including obesity, smoking, unhealthy eating habits and communicable diseases. These lifestyle choices also contribute significantly to the increase in the number of people suffering from chronic diseases.
We all know that diseases mainly strike adults and most children remain physically healthy but mentally unhealthy. The primary reason for this is our unhealthy lifestyles. The next step would be to identify the causes of the various diseases. Mental health is largely affected by the diet, nutrition and our mental outlook and attitude towards life. Most of the common diseases are caused by bad diet, unhealthy eating habits, stress and lifestyle choices.
The next step would be to reduce the risk factors associated with the diseases. The different determinants or risk factors include the sociological surroundings, genetic predisposition, social environments and life style choices. A multidimensional approach towards health promotion will help you in taking positive steps towards your overall health and the mental well-being. There are various tools and methods which can be used as determinants and it includes measures like diet control, stress management, physical activity, social support, family support, educational programs and so on.
The next in the line is to implement the necessary changes for better health. There are various examples of these changes and the following are a few: * Promotion of mass media awareness, such as television advertisements, music and other entertainment. * Creation of an environment-friendly work culture, which will reduce smoking, drinking and other tobacco consumption. * Public education, including mass media and entertainment. * Direct social interventions, like health programs and family interventions. * Public health programs such as smoking cessation programs, providing of medications to prevent illness and disease, etc. * Promotion of alternative and complementary medicine, which includes herbal cures, stress management techniques, etc. * Family planning and child spacing. * Creation of environment-friendly spaces, which will decrease air pollution and provide a conducive environment. * Promote community participation and involvement in social services.
To sum it all up, public health is all about promoting healthy lifestyles that will eventually lead to a healthy society. Prevention is definitely better than cure. Therefore, people should be more aware of their personal health and take necessary steps to avoid getting diseases or conditions. Moreover, healthy life style will not only improve general well-being of an individual but also his or her family members.