(Un) Common Understanding

I find it interesting that a person’s health is often influenced by their relationship with the word “health.” The same is true for how others feel about health (and physical) education.

Historically, many people associated health ed with subjects like sex, drugs, and . . . well, you get the point. Sadly, such a narrow perspective means many miss the mark regarding their potential for a healthy life, well lived.

A ​re-brand​ of health education starts with a common understanding of the words we use. How would you answer the following question: “What’s the difference between health, wellness, and well-being?”

Understanding the difference between health, wellness, and well-being determines what is taught, how it is taught, and possible outcomes.

These words are used every day by everyday people. Thus, we need everyday definitions like . . .

HEALTH: a condition in which I am thriving. (My Goals)

WELLNESS: My system of healthy choices and actions. (My Actions)

WELL-BEING: the degree to which I am happy, healthy, and successful. (My Results)

Each are powerful and meaningful. Together they form The Health Triad – something much bigger than the sum of the parts.

To me, the Triad says, “I determine goals in an image of what thriving means to me (standard 6). I live by a set of choices (standard 5) and actions (standard 7) that influence the degree to which I thrive. I regularly analyze my outcomes to determine how my goals and plans work for me (standards 1 -4, 8).”

The use of the first person is intentional. Health is personal. People have individual goals. Likewise, each path of choices and actions is personal in its own way. It starts and ends with an individual’s agency.

What if you only have 6 seconds to ace your pitch about what is health education? Here’s a Triad-inspired description that is practical and meaningful . . .

Health education teaches people that goals, choices, and actions can lead to a thriving state of health, happiness, and success.

Next time, I’ll dive into how the Health Triad works with the dimensions (pillars) of wellness, the health continuum, and more. In the meantime, ​how do you describe health education?