Women's health
refers to health issues specific to human female
anatomy. These often relate to structures such
as female genitalia and breasts or to conditions
caused by hormones specific to, or most notable
in, the female. Health is the level of functional
and/or metabolic efficiency of an organism at
both the micro(cellular) and macro(social) level.
In the medical field, health is commonly defined
as an organism's ability to efficiently respond
to challenges (stressors) and effectively restore
and sustain a "state of balance,"
known as homeostasis.
Another widely
accepted definition of health is that of the
World Health Organization "WHO". It
states that "health is a state of complete
physical, mental and social well-being and not
merely the absence of disease or infirmity".
In more recent years, this statement has been
modified to include the ability to lead a "socially
and economically productive life." The
WHO definition is not without criticism, as
some argue that health cannot be defined as
a state at all, but must be seen as a process
of continuous adjustment to the changing demands
of living and of the changing meanings we give
to life. The WHO definition is therefore considered
by many as an idealistic goal rather than a
realistic proposition.
The LaLonde report suggested that there are
four general determinants of health which he
called "human biology", "environment",
"lifestyle", and "healthcare
organization" Thus, health is maintained
through the science and practice of medicine,
but can also be improved by individual effort.
Physical fitness, weight loss, a healthy diet,
stress management training and stopping smoking
and other substance abuse are examples of steps
to improve one's health. Workplace programs
are recognized by an increasingly large number
of companies for their value in improving health
and well-being of their employees, and increasing
morale, loyalty and productivity at work. A
company may provide a gym with exercise equipment,
start smoking cessation programs, provide nutrition,
weight or stress management training. Other
programs may include health risk assessments,
health screenings and body mass index monitoring.
An increasing measure of
the health of populations is height, which is
strongly regulated by nutrition and health care,
among other standard of living and quality of
life matters. The study of human growth, its
regulators and its implications is known as
auxology. Wellness is a term sometimes used
to describe the psychological state of being
healthy, but is most often used in the field
of alternative medicine to describe one's state
of being.