## Step 2 - Reading

#### Factors of good health

You are going to read a text about the World Health Organisation.

- Read the text and do assignment 1.
- Read the text again and do assignment 2 and 3.

#### Assignment 1

On your own read the text, copy and fill in the grid. Discuss your answers in your group.

What information do you get ? Only write down the most important facts. (use key words)
paragraph 1 |
paragraph 2 |
paragraph 3 |
paragraph 4 |

Read the text.

Health is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain. The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health in its broader sense in 1946 as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." Generally, the context in which an individual lives is of great importance on health status and quality of life. It is increasingly recognized that health is maintained and improved not only through the advancement and application of health science, but also through the efforts and intelligent lifestyle choices of the individual and society.​ According to the World Health Organization, the main determinants of health include the social and economic environment, the physical environment, and the person's individual characteristics and behaviors. In fact, an increasing number of studies and reports from different organizations and contexts examine the linkages between health and different factors, including lifestyles, environments, health care organization, and health policy. Focusing more on lifestyle issues and their relationships with functional health, data from different studies suggested that people can improve their health via: exercise, enough sleep, maintaining a healthy body weight, limiting alcohol use, and avoiding smoking. In addition to that, the ability to adapt and to self manage have been suggested as core components of human health. Personal health also depends partially on the social structure of a person's life. The maintenance of strong social relationships, volunteering, and other social activities have been linked to positive mental health and even increased longevity. In contrast, prolonged psychological stress may negatively impact health, and has been cited as a factor in cognitive impairment with aging, depressive illness, and expression of disease. Source: Wikipedia

#### Assignment 3

- Answer the questions on your own.
- Discuss your answers in your group.
- Check your answers on the Answers page.

Questions

1. What do the letters WHO stand for?
2. Which five words in the first paragraph indicate bad health?
3. What is according to the second paragraph important for good health?
4. What is examined in most health studies?
5. What can people do to improve their health?
6. What is also important for a good health?

| #### Answers