scholarly journals Beyond Calories: An Integrated Approach to Promote Health, Longevity, and Well-Being

Gerontology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatrice Bertozzi ◽  
Valeria Tosti ◽  
Luigi Fontana

In 1948, the World Health Organization defined health as ‘a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity'. Detractors claim that this definition of health is utopian and unrealistic. However, accumulating evidence from experimental studies suggests that aging is not inevitably linked with the development of chronic diseases, and the age-associated accumulation of molecular damage can be prevented or greatly delayed by dietary and genetic manipulations that downregulate key cellular nutrient-sensing pathways. Nonetheless, to obtain a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, we as human beings need to go beyond nutrition or pharmacological treatments and implement a combination of interventions that enhance not only our metabolic health but also our psychological, emotional, intellectual and spiritual development, our social relationships and cultural well-being. This perspective highlights a range of scientific research-based interventions that can potentially be used to promote human health and longevity. We will also briefly address the importance of environmental health in achieving this goal.

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Peta

In 2016, the World Health Organization, through the Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology Initiative, issued the Priority Assistive Products List which is meant to be a guide to member states of the 50 assistive products needed for a basic health care and/or social welfare system; it is also a model from which nations can develop their national priority assistive products lists. The aim of this opinion paper is to share my views about the Priority Assistive Products List on the grounds that it makes no distinct mention of sexual assistive devices, yet research has indicated that sexuality is an area of great concern for persons with disabilities. In any case, sexuality forms a core part of being human, and it impacts on both the physical and mental well-being of all human beings. I conclude in part that, in its present format, the list perpetuates the myth that persons with disabilities are asexual beings who are innocent of sexual thoughts, feelings and experiences. The list also propagates the stereotype that sexuality is a sacred, private, bedroom matter that should be kept out of the public domain, to the detriment of the health and well-being of persons with disabilities.


1989 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 354-357
Author(s):  
IIIT - USA

The Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the World Health Organization,the Islamic Organization for Medical Sciences, and the Royal Academyfor Islamic Civilization Research (the Aal Al-Bayt Foundation) jointly sponsoreda seminar on “Islamic Lifestyles and their Impact on Health and theGeneral Development of Mankind” in order to put this Islamic heritage inthe service of all human beings.The idea of.holding this Seminar was first conceived by the EasternMediterranean Regional Office of the World Health Organization becauseof its profound conviction that:1. Health constitutes the physical, psychological, and social wellbeingof the individual.2. Particular lifestyles have a major impact on the health ofthe individual and the society at large.3. Islam views the concept of well-being as a pre-requisite of‘Aqidah (creed) and Shari’ah which the Muslims fully appliedand implemented in their Golden Age -thus, providingliving proof of its success in real life.The first task undertaken by the participants involved the exhaustive listingand description of Islamic lifestyles in all spheres, and, the determiningof their Islamic roots on the basis of evidence from the Qur’an and Hadith.The second task focused on exploring the benefits to be acquired and theharms to be avoided through the adoption of these Islamic lifestyles by theindividual, the family, the society, and all human beings especially in thespheres of mental and physical health, and the well-being of social and humanrelationships. The third task involved devising plans of action for utilizingand applying all or part of the knowledge gained about Islamic lifestylesin order to demonstrate their beneficial influence as a means of reforminglife and setting mankind on the straight path.The Seminar participants also formed a smaller committee to exatninethe results of its research and deliberations so as to prepare, as soon as possible ...


Author(s):  
Zeynep Aca

COVID-19 appeared in Wuhan, China's Hubei Province in December 2019, and human beings have faced a global crisis resulting from spreading the virus across the world, leading the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Social work has become one of the fields that the pandemic has disproportionately damaged the most with its severe consequences in every respect. In this context, the study aims to reveal the impacts of the pandemic on social work comprehensively. These impacts are discussed under four topics: increasing inequalities (economic, healthcare, access to services, digital divide, and education), changing services due to lockdowns, social well-being (impacts of economic changes, unpaid labor, and lockdowns and social isolation on social well-being), and ethical dilemmas.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 60-64
Author(s):  
Jorge Magalhães

In 1948, with the creation of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Right to Health gained a little more global prominence, since the very purpose of the international entity is to guarantee the highest level of health for all human beings, advocating that the state of physical and mental well-being does not only consist in the absence of diseases or illnesses, but mainly when a set of values and principles are established and available to all individuals, anywhere on the planet (WHO | The Right to Health, 2012). Health in this new millennium must be seen as a global problem. The globalization of health is a good for which we must work in an explicit and programmed way, as it becomes a desirable social purpose, either for its intrinsic value or as a symbol of the predominance of human values over other interests (Oliveira & Cutolo, 2018). In a global context with rapid changes in the disease patterns, the best understanding of the Health context is to consider the broad spectrum of the ecosystem containing the social, economic determinants of health and the diversity of institutional agents, given the considerable change in the global health scenario in recent years (Kickbusch & Berger, 2010). The conception that health should be seen from a comprehensive and plural perspective brings other aspects closer to its effectiveness.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-81
Author(s):  
Hamidreza Shirzadfar ◽  
Narsis Gordoghli

In recent years, chronic medical problems have become increasingly prevalent. Chronic ‎illnesses challenge the view of life as a regular and continuous process, a challenge that has ‎important psychological consequences. The long duration of people suffering from these ‎diseases, the long process of treatment and the fact that there is no proper and definitive ‎treatment for most of these diseases and their associated complications have made chronic ‎diseases a detrimental factor in public health. According to the World Health Organization ‎‎(2006), the prevalence of chronic and non-communicable diseases is increasing in all countries, ‎especially developing countries, so that the major challenge for the health system in the present ‎century, is not living people, but better adapted to chronic illnesses and maintaining their ‎mental and social health and well-being Ed's life-threatening chronic physical illness.‎ Chronic pain is a pain that lasts longer than usual, and according to the criteria of the ‎International Association of Pain, this time is defined as at least 3 months to 6 months. Chronic ‎pain is such that not only faced the sick person whit the pressure of the pain but also with many ‎other pressure that affect different parts of her life. Fibromyalgia is one of the most rheumatologic disorders and one of the most resistant chronic ‎pain syndromes. Fibromyalgia is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders in adults ‎and chronic pain is one of the most common complaints in this group of patients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 758-762
Author(s):  
Amit Biswas ◽  
KunalChandankhede

Wuhan originated Covid-19 disease is caused by SARC-COV 2 virus. It is a contagious disease it spread all over the world. World health organization declared a global pandemic disease. In Covid-19 immunity plays an important role. In old age people or having other co-morbid conditions the mortality rate is more. Ayurveda has a big role in improved immunity or to intact immunity. The principle of Ayurveda is to keep individual swastha (diseases free). To maintain individual disease-free Ritucharya is one of the important subjects of Ayurveda. Aimed of study is to find out Ritucharya literature from the Ayurveda and modern research specifically Varsha and Sharad ritu. Ritucharya contains dietary regimen, living modification, common medicine, and contraindicated things those changing according to environmental change. Upcoming season in India is Varsha and Sharad ritu. Environmental changes are huge in this season and it directly affected human beings. So this study reveals property of ritu, dietary regimen, living modification, common medicine and contraindicated things in upcoming varsha and sharad ritu.


Author(s):  
Kanika Gupta ◽  
Aatif Jamshed

: Some unknown cases of pneumonia were communicated to World Health Organization (WHO) on 31 December,2019 in China’s Wuhan state. The higher authorities of China informed novel coronavirus as the root cause and labelled as “nCov-2019”. This virus is lying into the virus’s family which propagates the diseases like cold flu, lungs infection and more serious diseases. It is not detected earlier in human beings as it is considered to be a new patch on life. Many countries have increased their surveillance forces around the globe to detect any new novel coronavirus cases. An efficient and safe network for secure data storage i.e. Block chain is used in several applications such as food market, healthcare applications, finance, operations management, Internet of Things (IoT). In this paper, with the use of this emerging technology, are able to track useful information and accelerate the treatment process of patients. It also preserves the person’s identity. Correct implementation of block chain model has the chances to restrict the coronavirus transmissions and its related mortality rate where there are inadequate facilities of testing. Other infectious diseases will also be curbed by this model. The advantages of this model can reach to various stakeholders who are involved in the healthcare field which helps us to restrict the transmission of various diseases.


2021 ◽  
pp. 002073142110249
Author(s):  
Huriye Toker

As seen clearly from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, health is an important foreign policy and diplomatic issue connected with security, economic well-being, and international development. According to risk communication researchers, effective, transparent, and timely information sharing is the most important tool after vaccines for responding to pandemics. This study aims to start a scholarly discussion on the risk communication efforts of the World Health Organization (WHO) during the COVID-19 outbreak. We analyzed WHO’s communication efforts during the first 3 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the leading international health organization, WHO was responsible for providing rapid, up-to-date, and credible information for the public and the media. The selected research items were 42 news releases and statements provided by WHO between December 31, 2019, and March 30, 2020. These were subjected to qualitative and quantitative content analyses using the NVivo 12 qualitative analysis software program for coding. The data were coded under 6 variables (date of publication, topics, frequency, wording of the COVID-19 outbreak, sourcing, and themes of the releases). While 54.7% of WHO's communications were devoted to the COVID-19 outbreak, more than half were not issued until March. That is, instead of early risk communication and clear warnings about the outbreak, WHO acted overcautiously, preferring messages related to solidarity and cooperation during the most devastating pandemic of the 21st century.


2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nisha Rao ◽  
Kathi J. Kemper

Mind-body practices that intentionally generate positive emotion could improve health professionals’ well-being and compassion. However, the feasibility and impact of clinician training in these practices is unknown. Data were analyzed from 3 online modules offered to health professionals: ( a) Gratitude, ( b) Positive Word, and ( c) Loving-kindness/Compassion meditation. Paired t tests were used to assess pre- to posttraining changes in gratitude (Gratitude Questionnaire), well-being (World Health Organization Well-Being Index), self-compassion (Neff’s Self-Compassion Scale), and confidence in providing compassionate care (Confidence in Providing Calm, Compassionate Care Scale). The 177 enrollees included diverse practitioners (nurses, physicians, social workers, and others). Training was associated with statistically significant improvements in gratitude (38.3 ± 4.6 to 39.5 ± 3.3), well-being (16.4 ± 4.0 to 17.9 ± 4.2), self-compassion (39.5 ± 8.1 to 43.1 ± 7.6), and confidence in providing compassionate care (73.3 ± 16.4 to 80.9 ± 13.8; P < .001 for all comparisons). Brief, online training appeals to diverse health professionals and improves their gratitude, well-being, self-compassion, and confidence in providing compassionate care.


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