Health is a condition of mental, physical and social well being where infirmity and illness are absent. A number of definitions have also been used for various other purposes over the years. It has become associated with different concepts that help us to conceptualize health. We know that health is desirable to be achieved and maintained. When we speak of health, we refer to the complete state of the body, mind and spirit and not just the physical body.

The determinants of health have a great role in determining the quality and level of health. Some of the commonly mentioned determinants are age, gender, general health, lifestyle choices, genetic and physiological composition and environment. These determinants were originally conceived as explanations for health. However, these are now considered to be important determinants of health status. They influence the risk of a person to acquire a certain health condition or trait, thus making it important to take into consideration these factors.

Some of the diseases that have proven to be important determinants of health status include infectious diseases, blood clotting disorders, depression, diabetes mellitus, kidney diseases, osteoporosis, cancer, psychological disorders, heart diseases and accidents. Mental disorders include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major affective disorder, post traumatic stress disorder and obsessive compulsive disorders. Lifestyle choices are influences on health status. They include smoking, alcohol intake, overweight, underweight, exercise, diet and sedentary lifestyles. These can lead to increased or decreased risk of health conditions or disease.

Mental diseases are usually categorized into two categories, those that are psychological in nature and those that are environmental. These can be divided further into two main groups, which are anxiety and depression. Anxiety and depression mainly result from stress and some form of infection, whereas infections lead to immune system disorders, which are known to be a main cause of many health problems. Stress can make it difficult for people to focus, therefore affecting their entire lifestyle choices.

When it comes to both the risk factor and the protective factor of health, there are a lot of studies that have revealed that lifestyle choices and the type of environment that one lives in has a big impact on this. For example, a study made in Finland showed that people who are exposed to a higher amount of outdoor physical activity were less likely to be affected by common diseases. The type of food that they consumed was also related to their susceptibility to different types of illnesses. Those who followed healthy developed countries lifestyle, with a balanced diet and with regular exercise were less likely to be affected by common diseases, while those who did not follow such healthy lifestyles were prone to serious health issues, including obesity and chronic diseases.

It is important to follow a healthy developed countries lifestyle in order to keep your body in good health. Having a good health care system is very important too. Many people do not have access to health care, especially in the developed countries. In these cases, people are forced to look after themselves. It is important that you work towards achieving a healthy lifestyle by eating healthy foods and having regular exercise, so that you can keep your body in good shape and keep yourself away from health problems.