Health is More Than Absence of Disease

(Originally published in The Record, April 17th, 2008)

At last, the pieces of the puzzle are all fitting together. When I read that health professionals are coming to appreciate that healthy communities have as much to do with community as they do about health I jumped with joy.

There are many elements involved in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, some of which we can achieve alone, some of which we have had no control over. Body, mind and spirit are equally important when striving to live the healthy lifestyle we truly want.

When I read that the World Health Organization has come to define health as not merely the absence of disease but as a state of complete physical, mental and social well being, I knew the powerful message they had communicated will influence the way people think, at long last.

The strain on our health care services is beginning to show. Hopefully, now we can move forward with the simple strategies we all know about but sometimes forget -- awareness, prevention and early detection.

Whether it is environmental, the loss of a job, having nowhere to live, relationships, or chronic disease, all of these factors are parts of the puzzle that when joined together correctly show the answer.