Now you're talking!...I saw the previous reply re:wellness is abscence of
disease and got a little frustrated.  Sharyn's defn is much better.  I would
direct you to Antonovsky, A.  (1996).  The salutogenic model as a theory to
guide health promotion. Health promotion international, 11, (1), 11-18.
This article will take you far away from the wellness=absecnce of disease
approach.  Its well worth reading (or re-reading).  Antonovsky makes the
point that the definition of health/wellness sets the underlying direction
and that health (salutary factors) should be the goal rather than merely
abscence of disease.  This would, in turn, direct research and health
promotion to encompas all persons, wherever they are on the health
continuum.

ok?

Allan G. Sinclair
Manager of Health Services, Public Health
Lakeland Regional Health Authority
Box 747,
Lac La Biche, Alberta
Canada
T0A 2C0

"Its what we know already that often prevents us from learning"  Claude
Bernard.

-----Original Message-----
From: Young, Sharyn (Melbourne) [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: February 15, 2001 7:44 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: wellness definition wanted


I found possibly a better definition on a website
http://www.tcwf.org/about/health.htm
"Wellness is a measure of an individual's physical, mental and social
health. It is the state of optimum health and well-being achieved through
the active pursuit of good health and the removal of barriers, both personal
and societal, to healthy living. Wellness is more than the absence of
disease; it is the ability of people and communities to reach their best
potential in the broadest sense."

Sharyn Young
Content Developer
Global Health a joint venture company of KPMG
161 Collins Street
Melbourne Victoria 3000
T + 613 9288 5371




-----Original Message-----
From: Becky Sisk [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, February 16, 2001 1:18 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: wellness definition wanted


The trouble with wellness being the opposite of sickness is that people with
chronic illness may have that experience of wellbeing, etc., because they
have made peace with the chronic illness or are handling it.  Just a
thought...I otherwise agree with Sharyn's description of "wellness."

>
> Wellness is the opposite of sickness. It is a positive concept of health
> that relates to the experience of wellbeing, feeling right, happy, secure.
> A state of wellness is achieved whenm a person is growing to their
potential
> in harmony with their enviroment.
> Cheers
> Sharyn Young
> Content Developer
> Global Health a joint venture company of KPMG
> 161 Collins Street
> Melbourne Victoria 3000
> T + 613 9288 5371
>
>


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