How are our health perceptions shaped by cultural and society?
The determining factors of human’s health are biological, natural, socio-economic and cultural environment. In general, health conception refers to different features and contexts. In the majority of cases, being healthy implies having strong physical and mental feeling of well-being. The reflection of a healthy person depends on the territory of growing, family upbringing and economical terms. Therefore, the social and cultural patterns have a strong impact on modern health perceptions. Generally, there are both positive and negative consequences.
As for advantages, nowadays, the more physically vigorous, agile and strong person is, the more respect and honor he receives. Social institutions, cultural traditions as families and their habits, education organizations with advanced demands or media with marketing strategies cultivate the healthy generation. The appearance of new human imagination is an evidence of the economic and cross-cultural communication changes, and public opinion evolution. Modern society disapproves having harmful habits, living in idleness and other destructive life patterns. The supreme duty for people of all ages consequently must be to maintain the strong healthy organisms, superior intellect, and positive mindset.
The definition of physical health concerns correct functioning of structural and chemical components of the human organism (“What Is Health?”). The absence of complaints and pain, including vitality, body ability to resist adverse conditions and longer life spans can be the major physical health determiners. According to findings of recent reports, in 2015 the average life expectancy was 74,1 years (“Global Health Observatory data repository”). In 2001, the average life expectancy rate was 66,6 years in comparison to 48 years in 1950 (“Life expectancy”). The results of the statistic research are an evidence of health perception improving and changing the holistic approach to life and health care. Moreover, it can be advanced for people leaving in safe communities with an appropriate social environment such as family and different social groups that encourage providing healthy life span. The components of its process are physical activity and wholesome food, which includes several of diets such as vegetarian or raw food diet.
According to the recent trends, people has received the completely new image of the human body. It is common knowledge that social media has become a significant part of modern life. The process of sharing an experience through the Facebook and Twitter accounts, besides films and programs influence, created the new standards of beautiful and healthy bodies. Physical shape and size have been put in the forefront. Success, beauty and life efficiency are associated with thin well-trained body. On the one hand, changing the human body perception by social and cultural institutes is a significant step to the obesity-fighting. The problem of overweight generation is a dangerous obstacle for future of young and adult people. This is important in the case of the results of the recent research demonstrating that 38% of American adults were obese in 2014 (“Obesity rises despite all efforts to fight it”). For the purpose of obesity overcoming, modern companies produce varied goods in order to support physical training activities and healthy eating. The marketing and promotion process of the products has an incredible impact on young adult’s health perceptions. The appearance of new organizations such as fitness clubs, dance classes or up-to-date fitness and wellness cafes led to the changing of life spending habits among modern communities.
On the other hand, the above-mentioned changes led to the negative consequences, which are disadvantages of the social and cultural impact. Against the background of sport and wellness promotion, most of young people have become the victims of the social pressure. High level of health requirements provoked dangerous mental and healthy disorders. Fear of disagreement with created by social media ideal led to eating disturbances as Anorexia, Bulimia and Binge eating disorder. All over the world, women and men of different ages suffer from those problems, including depressions and suicides. In addition, new economic boundaries and resources limitation prevent accomplishing the positive goals for communities living out of the developed world. Social inequality, limitation of accesses to the healthy food or clean water, outdated cultural traditions such as early child birthing, female genital mutilation practiced in 27 countries in Africa or finger amputation in Japan destroy human health and life span (“7 brutal religious and cultural practices”). Unfortunately, cultural traditions and habits are powerful influence tool; however, modern world health organizations and global organizations as U.N.O. create the programs in order to find a solution how to bring the evolution achievements to the all communities.
Nobody knows where the social and cultural impact will lead us within the next years; however, the successful changes have happened already. Persuasion of the healthy generation is a significant foundation for the subsequent development of health perceptions. People are falling into a habit of an appropriate care of themselves and their families. The most important point is that people appreciate being healthy.
Work cited
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<http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.688>
