The difficulty in defining health is that, like well being, it is abstract. With an abstract concept it is always difficult to draw boundaries.
Disease on the other hand, can be defined. You can list the symptoms, and identify a disease or a syndrome. Whereas, this is not the case with health, there are too many parameters or symptoms of health.No one has been able to comprehensibly describe Health.
As Traditional Indian philosophy says, if you have an erect spine, moderate appetite, clear bowel movement, sound sleep and clear eyes (to the observer) then you are healthy.
The main positive symptoms of health are:
- Sufficient amount of energy
- A feeling of being unrestricted
- Proper hydration
- Proper ingestion, digestion and elimination..
- Sound sleep
- Ability to carry out duties without feeling strain or stress
- A clear focused mind, sharp short term memory and recall
- A body that heals very easily and can adapt to changes in atmosphere and the environment
There are many symptoms that can make you feel under par but they are not strong enough to take you to the doctor. These symptoms include fatigue, bodyache, mild pains, flatulence, restlessness at night, mild weight gain, dandruff, stiffness in the body, dry skin mild depression etc.One tends to ignore them. It is said that 60% of people above the age of 40 years are in this category. They are neither ill nor healthy. For example, if you have your annual medical check-up, most parameters are often perfect but you still don’t feel right. The problem is that like Health, these symptoms cannot be measured with standard methods ( barring weight gain). If you can’t measure, they are subjective, not very objective. You have to use a scale of 10 to measure them.
I have therefore created a MOT-type assessment to assess your Wellness and Health.
Compare all the symptoms that are characteristic of ill health and answer the questions in the Dr. Ali’s downloadable MOT (My Own Testing) and find out about your health status.
Please note that The MOT is designed to evaluate your general health and well-being. Poor health can lead to illness over a period of time. So please take your time to think and make a honest assessment of the symptoms. This assessment might serve as a warning sign of a forthcoming illness.
