Getwell Dubai1 Health and Wellness

Getwell Dubai2 Definitions and Dimensions of Health

Getwell Dubai 3 Definitions of Health Health is the “capacity to lead a satisfying life, fulfill ambitions, and accommodate to change” (Ottawa Charter, World Health Organization, 1986). Health is: Specific to person’s life -- it is personal Dynamic, ever-changing process Holistic, not simply the absence of disease Related to quality of someone’s life Multidimensional Related to person’s ability to cope with the challenge of change

Getwell Dubai 4 Dimensions of Health Health is multidimensional. The following are the dimensions of health: Social EnvironmentalSpiritualEmotional MentalPhysical

Getwell Dubai 5 Dimensions of Health These dimensions are interdependent i.e., they interact and overlap with each other to produce health Physical Social Mental Emotional Spiritual Environmental HEALTH

Getwell Dubai 6 As these dimensions interact they produce a unique health and wellness profile for each individual. Dimensions of Health EnvironmentalSocial Spiritual Emotional Mental Physical

Getwell Dubai 7 Health and Wellness in Adolescence Health and wellness is related to person’s ability to cope with the many interactions and transitions that are occurring in his/her life. Transitions specific to adolescence include: –Increase in autonomy and individuality –Increase in responsibilities –Increase industry –Intensification of relationships –Changes in body structure

Getwell Dubai 8 Health and Wellness in Adolescence Dimensions of health that focus on transition might fall under three headings: –Being, e.g. Who am I? Who am I becoming as a person? –Belonging, e.g. To what groups do I connect with in a sense of belonging? –Becoming, e.g. What accomplishments am I striving for?

Getwell Dubai9 Health and Wellness: A Personal Journey

Getwell Dubai 10 Achievement of Health and Wellness Not a single event, it is an ongoing process Making healthy choices (e.g., good nutrition) are important guidelines to consider vs.

Getwell Dubai 11 Achievement of Health and Wellness Ultimately, it is up to each individual to choose what combination of healthy choices create a healthy balance for them Remember, do things in moderation. Too much or too little of anything is a potential problem –E.g. Too little exercise=poor cardiovascular health Too much exercise=weakened immune system

Getwell Dubai 12 Approaches to Health and Wellness Reactive or curative approach –Worrying about your health only when sick. Not asserting control over your health in the absence of disease. –Chris’ approach: “If your sick, take a few pills; otherwise, have fun and enjoy yourself! I’ll quit smoking later.” –Example:

Getwell Dubai 13 Approaches to Health and Wellness Proactive approach –Adopting lifestyle habits that, in the long run, will enable you to lead a more healthy life. –Erin’s approach: “I am building for the future. What I do for my body today lays the foundation for a lifetime of involvement in healthy activities.” –Example:

Getwell Dubai14 Wellness: Your Personal Responsibility

Getwell Dubai 15 Wellness: Your Personal Responsibility Wellness is: –Reflected in a way a person chooses to live his or her life –Making informed choices and taking responsibilities for the way we live our lives. Sense of wellness is influenced by the following factors: Family Culture Peers Media

Getwell Dubai16 Family Influences on Health and Wellness

Getwell Dubai 17 Positive Family Influences Family positively influences your health, well-being, and a general sense of satisfaction through: –Education The advice your parents give you to stay healthy E.g. “Wear a coat outside or you’ll catch a cold” –Values Family values can influence lifestyle choices E.g. Families that value physical activity introduce their children to sports at early age. –Support E.g. Emotional support during stressful life events E.g. Financial and mental support to pursue sports that will enable optimal development

Getwell Dubai 18 Negative Family Influences Alternatively, family can have negative influences on one’s health –E.g. Families that push their children to compete for rewards outside of the physical, mental, social, and spiritual benefits of activity, can cause their children to withdraw prematurely from participating in physical activity –Example: Parent Sideline Rage Aggressive parents are poor role models for their children

Getwell Dubai19 Media Influences on Health and Wellness

Getwell Dubai 20 Positive Media Messages Media messages can be highly motivational: –E.g. Sports coverage in the media has created role models that can motivate children to pursue physical activity

Getwell Dubai 21 Negative Media Messages Unfortunately, media also has to power to encourage unhealthy choices: –E.g. Commercialization of the body image has distorted interpretation of healthy body

Getwell Dubai 22 Ideal Female Body Image

Getwell Dubai 23 The Reality Behind the Image

Getwell Dubai 24 Negative Media Messages Further, media has distorted interpretation of what it means to be an accomplished performer. Media coverage has some believe that the pinnacle of achievement comes from beating the competition, being the toughest, and gaining multi-million contracts. However, wellness is about the journey towards personal improvement and aspiring to achieve your individual potential.

Getwell Dubai 25 It’s Up To You! In conclusion, images of the sporting life can be motivational or cause unhealthy distortions. Ultimately, it is up to each individual to judge these images in relation to his or her personal goals and values.

Getwell Dubai26 Social/Peer Influences on Health and Wellness

Getwell Dubai 27 Social/Peer Influences Participation in sport comes with social benefits incurred in meeting new people As we have seen in Chris’ example peer influences can be of negative nature. Therefore, it is important to: –Choose friends wisely – Resist negative peer pressure

Getwell Dubai28 Cultural Influences on Health and Wellness

Getwell Dubai 29 Health in North America Views about health are understood differently across cultures. North Americans tend to think about disease from a scientific point of view. –Western medicine deals largely with treatment of organs and systems, in isolation from the person’s mind and environment. –Increasingly, a more holistic approach is emerging. E.g. Recognition of the influence of personality on cardiovascular health E.g. Recognition of the influence of environment on obesity

Getwell Dubai 30 Health In Eastern and Aboriginal Cultures In many non-western cultures, health has a strong spiritual quality. Therefore, disease is understood in terms of individual’s spiritual harmony with oneself and/or his or her environment. e.g., Aboriginal culture and sweat lodgee.g., Oriental culture and chi

Getwell Dubai 31 Putting It All Together Health is multidimensional One must make informed decision that relate to all the various dimensions of health Perspectives and decisions about health are influenced by family, peers, media, and the culture The journey towards health is lifelong

Getwell Dubai 32 ? Discussion Questions ? 1. What health problems do you predict Chris will face in the future? 2. What has guided Erin’s decisions to be smoke free, eat well etc.? 2. What kinds of supports from family, friends, and the community are needed to adopt a healthy lifestyle? 3. How does culture influence views on what it means to be healthy and to take care of your health? 4. What do you do if your friends have poor health habits? 5. Many people think healthy living means giving up a lot of things (giving up high calorie foods, giving up spare time for workouts, giving up smoking and drugs). What does living a healthy lifestyle enable you to do?