Defining Health
An individual’s health is not solely the product of their own actions. People are subject to an array of circumstances beyond their control. Several factors come together to influence health. Geographical location, socioeconomic status, sex, culture, upbringing, stigma and social connections all play a role in personal impacting health.
Whether a person lives in a rural or densely populated city, in the first or third world, health is always affected by a person’s environment. People living in rural locations may not always have access to good health care and may not be well educated in prevention and treatments for certain illnesses and diseases. On the other hand, people residing in overpopulated, large cities may be subject to air and water pollution. In third world countries where houses are often built poorly and poverty and unemployment is prevalent, disease can spread quickly. In areas with so many destitute and desperate people cheap dangerous labour jobs and prostitution may become widespread and unchecked. People with low levels of education do not receive the same amount of opportunities, have less control over their careers and on average make less as opposed to those who had access to proper schooling. Therefore, it goes to reason that socioeconomic position has a direct influence on health. People who work multiple jobs may be subject to burnout. Buying pre-packaged or refrigerated foods is an affordable and convenient, yet unhealthy choice in which people living an impoverished lifestyle may desire. Holding a low paying job puts a lot of stress on an individual as they will have to sacrifice some things in order to make ends meet. People in these situations may turn towards illicit activities in the hopes of earning more money. Those who have access to a support network may be less likely to gravitate towards this risky lifestyle. Family, friends, even people in the community can be a good way to relieve stress and become involved in endeavors that give purpose to one’s life. Family plays a vital role in health. Individuals usually model their own behaviours after their parents’. The level of support and lifestyle choices a family …show more content…
The combinations of fast-food, ultra thin celebrities and the glorification of the chronically busy and as a result constantly exhausted individual can have major impacts on health. Western culture is obsessed with the idea of this person who can do it all and still be content and attractive is not only unrealistic but unobtainable. Sadly, a lot of the standards forced onto the population by social media target young girls. Social media has played a large role in adolescent girls’ self-esteem. Extreme dieting, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are can be the result of western culture’s ideal of the perfect …show more content…
Genes can determine the likelihood of a person developing diseases like cancer and cystic fibrosis. A person’s genes also determine where a body stores its fat, the trunk or the abdomen, an area where fat accumulation has been associated with elevated chances of developing diabetes and atherosclerosis. There are also health differences between women and men. Although, “women experience substantially higher rates of depression and anxiety disorders than men, men have higher rates of substance abuse, antisocial behaviour and suicide” (Kessler et al., 2003a,b). The odds of an individual developing a mental illness also increase by the number of family members affected by the
An individual’s health is not solely the product of their own actions. People are subject to an array of circumstances beyond their control. Several factors come together to influence health. Geographical location, socioeconomic status, sex, culture, upbringing, stigma and social connections all play a role in personal impacting health.
Whether a person lives in a rural or densely populated city, in the first or third world, health is always affected by a person’s environment. People living in rural locations may not always have access to good health care and may not be well educated in prevention and treatments for certain illnesses and diseases. On the other hand, people residing in overpopulated, large cities may be subject to air and water pollution. In third world countries where houses are often built poorly and poverty and unemployment is prevalent, disease can spread quickly. In areas with so many destitute and desperate people cheap dangerous labour jobs and prostitution may become widespread and unchecked. People with low levels of education do not receive the same amount of opportunities, have less control over their careers and on average make less as opposed to those who had access to proper schooling. Therefore, it goes to reason that socioeconomic position has a direct influence on health. People who work multiple jobs may be subject to burnout. Buying pre-packaged or refrigerated foods is an affordable and convenient, yet unhealthy choice in which people living an impoverished lifestyle may desire. Holding a low paying job puts a lot of stress on an individual as they will have to sacrifice some things in order to make ends meet. People in these situations may turn towards illicit activities in the hopes of earning more money. Those who have access to a support network may be less likely to gravitate towards this risky lifestyle. Family, friends, even people in the community can be a good way to relieve stress and become involved in endeavors that give purpose to one’s life. Family plays a vital role in health. Individuals usually model their own behaviours after their parents’. The level of support and lifestyle choices a family …show more content…
The combinations of fast-food, ultra thin celebrities and the glorification of the chronically busy and as a result constantly exhausted individual can have major impacts on health. Western culture is obsessed with the idea of this person who can do it all and still be content and attractive is not only unrealistic but unobtainable. Sadly, a lot of the standards forced onto the population by social media target young girls. Social media has played a large role in adolescent girls’ self-esteem. Extreme dieting, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are can be the result of western culture’s ideal of the perfect …show more content…
Genes can determine the likelihood of a person developing diseases like cancer and cystic fibrosis. A person’s genes also determine where a body stores its fat, the trunk or the abdomen, an area where fat accumulation has been associated with elevated chances of developing diabetes and atherosclerosis. There are also health differences between women and men. Although, “women experience substantially higher rates of depression and anxiety disorders than men, men have higher rates of substance abuse, antisocial behaviour and suicide” (Kessler et al., 2003a,b). The odds of an individual developing a mental illness also increase by the number of family members affected by the