What Is Health

Article #2: What Is Health?

Health does not consist merely of the absence of symptoms of illness. It is a state of positive well-being that is evidenced by a constant state of euphoria. It is rarely, if ever, experienced by humans today.

Various States of Existence

We could well divide the people we meet into the following categories:

1. People who are definitely sick.
2. People who are on the borderline of sickness.
3. People who are apparently healthy.
4. People who enjoy high-level health.

The first three groups constitute the vast majority of our population. Perhaps only a mere handful of our youth could fall within the last category. Great vigour and the buoyant feeling of well-being are extremely rare in our populace.

Delineating Health

Health is a state of soundness and integrity of organism; vigour and efficiency of function; and excellence of mental faculties. Much of this well-being springs from antecedent heredity but that is merely the base requisite to building and maintaining health.

Health manifests itself by such a feeling of tone in the entire organism that the body fairly glows with it and bespeaks it at every turn. There is cleanliness and sparkle to the eyes, clearness and fine color to the skin, vigor and activity and bounce to the step, and an evident feeling of joy of living that is infectious.

We witness traces of the pristine vigor and well-being in our youngest children. Rarely do we observe exuberant physiological excellence beyond the age of six. If we really want to see vigor we must watch the young of animals.

This vigor is possible to humans throughout most of their lives.