The way our culture defines health:
- Thinness
- Exercising as much as possible – the more the better
- Thinness
- Only eating certain "healthy" foods, although which foods are acceptable keeps changing (e.g. dairy is good for your bones today and dangerous to your health tomorrow).
- Thinness
- Counting/limiting calories, carbohydrates and fat
- Did I mention thinness?
How I define health:
- Your organs are functioning properly. When you think about it, all medical screenings and tests are just proxies to determine if your body is functioning properly at the organ level.
- Psychological stability, mental capabilities at your brain's capacity
- Emotional wellness – ability to experience, identify, and cope with emotions effectively
Note that weight isn't part of my definition of health. Normal weights occur at all weight points – this is how nature works. A person can be healthy at any weight, just like they can be unhealthy at any weight. Health is a picture of the whole person – mind, body and spirit, and we must nurture all aspects.
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