Public health is the art of preventing many diseases, increasing the span of life and promoting health through the informed efforts and choices of the society, many organizations both private and public, communities and the individual human beings. It is based on concerns for overall threats to the society which is based on population and health analysis. The population can be handful of individuals or may be as large scale as many continents. The public health is subdivided into many categories such as epidemiology, biostatics and various health services. The main focus of this intervention is prevention of the disease rather than treating it through surveillance of cases. It is also about preventing the infectious diseases by the process of vaccination. Various other tasks are performed such as distribution of free condoms in public places hence spreading awareness about aids. The two approaches to health science are study and research, both being equally important. These help in understanding the nature of humans, their functioning and curing the diseases that might occur to them. The health research is based on various basic sciences such as biology, chemistry and physics as well as other multidisciplinary fields such as medical sociology. The other fields which have contributed significantly are biochemistry, epidemiology and genetics.
The effective methods and strategies for staying healthy and disease free include the following factors.
Nutrition:
It is a branch of science that shows how the eating habits of the people affects their health, such as food components that can cause various diseases. Example eating too many calories can cause diabetes, obesity and various heart diseases. This field of nutrition also tells about the dietary supplements that improve health, performance and cure or prevent diseases. Example eating fibrous foods can decrease the risk of cancer of the colons, supplementing the diet with vitamin c strengthens teeth and gums and also improves the immune system.
Sports nutrition is a link between the athletic performance of the individual and the dietary supplements. One of its main goals is to maintain glycogen levels and prevent its depletion. Another of its function is to optimize energy levels and muscle tone. The main strategy is what to eat, and when to eat it. It’s not about gobbling up food all the time. The people in the endurance sports such as full distance triathlon actually eat during their race.
Exercise:
Exercise of body is the performance of movements to maintain physical fitness and the health of the person. In order to prevent disease of affluence such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, back pain, etc. frequent and regular exercise is a must. Exercises are grouped into 3 different types depending on the effect on the body. These are Flexibility exercises such as stretching, aerobic exercises such as walking and running, and anaerobic exercises such as weight training and sprints to increase muscle and strength. The delayed onset soreness of muscles can occur after any type of exercises, when the body is in unconditioned state when the exercise involves eccentric contraction and relaxation.
The report of La Londe on health clearly suggests that there are in total four general determinants or I would say factors of a good health. These include environment in which a person lives, human biology, lifestyle and proper health care services. Thus it is known that health is not only improved through the application of health science but also by a good and intelligent lifestyle and the society surrounding the individual. A person’s health deeply depends on certain environmental factors such as water. It is a very important factor especially for small kids and infants in the developing and the underdeveloped countries as clean water is a must. Presence of toxic material in water can lead to many diseases in the child and it passes on to the generations. Studies have also show that in certain developed countries, lack of activities in the neighborhood can lead to lower level of social interaction and satisfaction and hence increasing obesity, which leads to lower well being. Proper sanitation is also required in all the places inhabited by humans as absence of this can lead to many bacterial and viral infections which can even be fatal. The life of the person deeply depends on the conditions in which he lives. So the person should eliminate all the bad factors in the environment surrounding him or her and lead a healthy life.
Numerically, health can come under two subcategories
Physical health: being physically fit is very important for the body. This happens with a regular dose of exercise, proper diet and good nutrition. Proper rest is also an important factor for you to recover fully physically. A very strong indicator for a good health of a population localized in a certain area is their height to weight ratio which generally increases with improved health care and nutrition. They are also influenced by the quality of life and standard of living of the person. Genetics is also plays a great role in the people’s height. This study of growth of the living being, its regulators as well as its implications is known as Auxology.
Mental health: mental health of an individual refers to the psychological and emotional well being in which the person is able to use his emotional and cognitive capabilities, to function in the society and meet the regular day to day demands. According to WHO or world health organization, mental health refers to multiple meanings. It depends on the subjective assessments, cultural differences and the competing professional theories. It is also known that mental health and mental illness are not opposite in nature. One way to describe mental health is how effectively a person is able to function. If he feels competent and capable, is able to handle stress, leads an independent life and is able to maintain relationships after recovering from difficult and stressful situations, it shows that he is mentally fine.
A good mind and good health keeps a person going for long. You are healthy if you are free from any physical stress or disease along with mental stress. As the saying goes, health is wealth. So you should try to keep your health in a good condition all the time. If the man is not healthy, he cannot be happy, no matter how much money he earns or how much fame he has earned. The real value of health can only be learned from a person who has lost it.
A healthy mind can only be found in healthy and sound bodies. If a person is sick, his attitude towards anything and everything is gloomy. If the person is in good health, he can work for long hours and not feel tired. His brain remains sharp and goes on developing. A good health requires you to take full care of yourself and your body. The important ingredients for a good health is fresh air, good and nutritious food, exercise on a regular basis even if the person is not fat, which is a common misconception that fat people only need to exercise and not others, and a good night sleep. There are certain aspects and facts which prevent good health. These include smoking, eating too much, irregularity in habits and especially the basic ones. Even lack of energy may lead to ill health. In order to stay healthy and happy, one must curb all of these.