Topic Summary

• The World Health Organization has defined health as a "state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

• Certain factors that influence our health are beyond our control. These include our genetic inheritance and the environment in which we grow up.

• We can maintain physical health by exercising regularly, avoiding unnecessary hazards, and eating a well-balanced diet.

• A person in good mental health is energetic,confident,relaxed, and able to cope with the problems and stresses of life. Our social health is influenced by our relationships with other people and by our roles within society as a whole.

• Promoting Health/Preventing Disease is a list of health objectives for the nation. It aims to control and prevent the most common causes of death and disability.

• Most infectious diseases have been brought under control in the United States today. The big killers are chronic diseases and unintended injuries.

• To achieve a feeling of wellness, a person has to play a conscious and active role in promoting health.

• The aim of preventive medicine is to stop a disease before it starts.

• Americans spend more money on alcohol and to­bacco than they do on medical research, disease prevention, and health education.

• Good health grows from a series of informed de­cisions that will affect an individual for life.