Can We Measure Quality and Quantity Of Health?

© 2011 Heinz R. Gisel

Health - What Do You Mean By That?

Have you ever thought about the impact of Word Definitions on Society and Culture? Just consider this: How can we possibly have Health-care, in absence of a clear definition of the term "Health"? Is it then surprising that there is no real health-care system existing, because what we call health-care is - sadly - Ill health-care?

“Are you Healthy?” – What do you mean by that question, shouldn’t you rather ask: “Do You Know That You Are Not Sick?” This rather trivial question delivers you to the conundrum: How Do You Know What Do You Mean By That and how do you interpret the answer?  Talking about our Ill-health at length is a no-brainer, but talking about Health in a way that evokes unambiguous understanding of what is meant - does not yet exist! Does it even matter if there is a definition of the rather amorphous term? Well - you wouldn't dare to go and see a physician in absence of a "symptom" - the exception of your "normal" look or feeling? Of course not, health-care systems do not serve the Healthy, they care about the mending  manifest diversions from the "Normal" condition. In other words, health-care should, more aptly be referred to as "sick-care", because the system has no answers for the Healthy. Consequently, the definition of "sick" is rather obvious, it is: “the visible or experienced reduction of normal physical or mental condition or function”. There are many different ways of expression, but the essence is unequivocally the same and unchallenged.

Now try to define "Health" and "being healthy" by a term that evokes a universally equivalent understanding. Obviously this is a challenge, the WHO still uses its 1947 coined: "complete physical, mental and social well-being" definition, while most dictionaries confine the term as something like "the absence of disease". and this is exactly how today's health-care systems approach the issue. But isn't there much more to Health than the absence of an identifiable ailment? Apart from evident Physical Health, what about more concealed Mental Health, Emotional Health, Spiritual Health, Social Health, Intellectual Health - isn't all that essential to a state of well being? But does that mean "Health" is the absence of any and all (perceived) problems and concerns - would then "Health" be synonymous with Happiness? Even reduced to Physical Health there is a wide spectrum of ambiguity, if you feel tired or fatigued - are you sick or are you healthy? Is weight gain a disease or just a sign of hedonism? Are you ill because you need reading glasses? What about wrinkles and sagging skin - is aging a disease? How about the lack of social integration (loneliness) is that associated with health? This thought open a Pandora's box: what is the normal rate of aging - where is - and who is the authority for setting the benchmark for "normal"?

Are you absolutely or relatively Healthy?

Researchers at Rice University have tried to define the parameters for measuring Health. They conclude that Health is measured in terms of

l) absence of physical pain, physical disability, or a condition that is likely to cause death

2) emotional well-being, and

3) satisfactory social functioning.

But they admit that there is no single standard of measurement of health status of Individuals or Groups, which may be assessed by an observer. It follows that "Health" assessed in this way is relative and subjective, while what we really want to know is:

Am I absolutely Healthy - objectively measured, not subjectively assumed by relative comparison with Others. We don't compare our pain or disfigurement with the neighbors arthritis or cancer. Quite the opposite: we visualize and strive to look as young and slim as the person on the cover of a magazine. Such natural cravings are the very foundation of an ever growing Beauty and Anti-Aging industry, even in absence of objective standards.

That is exactly the point: if we can't define Health but only Ill-health - we'll never look like that Idol no matter what! Because if we measure our Health by its weaning, we'll wait to act until we can define the symptoms, thereby depriving ourselves from gaining and sustaining utmost Vitality and stunning Appearance.

If we succeed in establishing a globally valid definition for absolute Health - we can actually begin to provide of real Health-care, that is caring for the preservation - or revival of the benchmark Health.

References:

Rice University: Measurement of Health Status

PLoS Medicine: Social Relationships and Mortality Risks

VitalityXpress^® is an analytical process designed to do just that: fill the void of certainty! Contemporary “preventive care” medical systems are searching and diagnosing disease symptoms, but the sum of anomalies do not translate into a quantification of Health, at best it may express a projected reduction in life expectancy – which is of little practical use and probably undesirable to know. In contrast, VitalityXpress^® is measuring how efficiently your body is converting its intake of Water, Food and Air into expendable Energy. The appraisal of your body’s reserves is an indicator of your Immunity – your body’s ability to ward off ROS - reactive oxygen species or “free radicals”, or simply: your ability to forestall disease and stay healthy! It can be deduced that Total Immunity = Total Health – in absolute terms, i.e. it’s not the absence of disease symptoms that define Health, but the capacity to withstand disease. However, “Total Health” defined as a normative value becomes a relative term when used by other Individuals, in part because of genetic disposition, but more so for volatility in Lifestyle specific circumstances that amount to quantifiable deduction from “Total Health”. Thus, VitalityXpress^® uniquely expresses the personal level of Total Health and the inter-personal normative value of Relative Health.

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