Why Is Health a Social Issue?
Health and Society
-Why is Health a Social Issue?
Introduction
You might well think and ask, illness are concerned only with the physical condition of your body, why could one’s illness have anything to do with the society? However, one’s health issue can affect the society in different ways, for example, alcohol abuse and obesity that decrease the morale.
On the other hand, health of a person does heavily depend on the traits of the society including standard of living and inequalities. In other words, not only one’s health will affect society but social issues have impact on individuals’ health too. In this essay, I will be focusing on how one’s health problems interrelate with the society.
Healthy and Unhealthy individuals
According to World Health Organization, health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. Health is quite a general term where it is hard to define whether a person is healthy or not. “We need only reflect that it is quite meaningful to ask someone ‘Do you feel ill?’, but it would be quite absurd to ask someone ‘Do you feel healthy?’ Health is not a condition that one introspectively feels in oneself. Rather, it is a condition of being involved, of being in the world, of being together with one’s fellow human beings, of active and rewarding engagement with one’s everyday tasks. (Gadamer 1996:113) Therefore, society works well rely on one’s health a lot.
When Personal Health Issue Affects the Society
To determine whether a person is healthy or not, it is of much dependant on the individual’s lifestyle. Despite those healthy individuals who contribute to the society in positive ways, such as working effectively that will raise the economy status of a country. The effects of bad individual lifestyle such as drinking and smoking can be seen, not just in individuals, but also in our society as a whole. Problems can be seen as below.
Alcohol Abuse
Research has shown that in 1995 alone, nearly 14 million Americans are
-Why is Health a Social Issue?
Introduction
You might well think and ask, illness are concerned only with the physical condition of your body, why could one’s illness have anything to do with the society? However, one’s health issue can affect the society in different ways, for example, alcohol abuse and obesity that decrease the morale.
On the other hand, health of a person does heavily depend on the traits of the society including standard of living and inequalities. In other words, not only one’s health will affect society but social issues have impact on individuals’ health too. In this essay, I will be focusing on how one’s health problems interrelate with the society.
Healthy and Unhealthy individuals
According to World Health Organization, health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. Health is quite a general term where it is hard to define whether a person is healthy or not. “We need only reflect that it is quite meaningful to ask someone ‘Do you feel ill?’, but it would be quite absurd to ask someone ‘Do you feel healthy?’ Health is not a condition that one introspectively feels in oneself. Rather, it is a condition of being involved, of being in the world, of being together with one’s fellow human beings, of active and rewarding engagement with one’s everyday tasks. (Gadamer 1996:113) Therefore, society works well rely on one’s health a lot.
When Personal Health Issue Affects the Society
To determine whether a person is healthy or not, it is of much dependant on the individual’s lifestyle. Despite those healthy individuals who contribute to the society in positive ways, such as working effectively that will raise the economy status of a country. The effects of bad individual lifestyle such as drinking and smoking can be seen, not just in individuals, but also in our society as a whole. Problems can be seen as below.
Alcohol Abuse
Research has shown that in 1995 alone, nearly 14 million Americans are
Bibliography: Bowling, Ann. Measuring Disease. New York: Open UP, 2001. Print. Fulcher, James. Sociology. New York: Oxford UP, 1999. Print. Giddens, Anthony. Sociology. New York: Blackwell, 1993. Print. Macionis, John J. (2007) Sociology a global introduction. Harlow, England: Pearson Prentice Hall Whitelegg, J. Inequalities in health care problems of access and provision. Retford, Nottinghamshire: Straw Barnes, 1982 Health Organization, August 28, 2008, p.3. Available from: http://www.globalissues.org/article/4/poverty-around-the-world#InequalityandHealth. [ 2 ]. "Healthy individuals cannot survive when society is sick | News Sun - cleveland.com." Cleveland.com channel parent. Web. 13 Nov. 2009. .