What is Wellness?
Today there is a rush of professions to claim the term wellness. MD’s, DC’s, Nutritionists, Personal Trainers, and Physical Therapists all claim that their treatment of a patient will result is overall wellness for the patient or client. Webster’s dictionary defines wellness as “the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal”.
You would think that Webster would know best but in this case it doesn’t. Every profession has their own definition of wellness and, in turn, the term wellness becomes a word without a concrete definition.
The public is confused on what is wellness because TV, magazines, neighbors, doctors, and even schools are all sending mixed messages. “drink this to the path of wellness”, “eat this to obtain wellness”, “This workout is the best for a wellness lifestyle” and my personal favorite “take this pill to achieve health and wellness”.
What all these quotes have in common with various healthcare professionals is that its all an outside in mentality. What I mean by this is healthcare professionals are telling the public that wellness is something you need to buy, something that is tangible.
What the public needs to realize is that wellness is achieved only when there thought and action upon that thought, to be well. The responsibility of the individual to achieve wellness is up to the individual, and not some exercise program, drink or pill.
The public wants to live healthier but they need to know it comes from within and not from a pill, power bar exercise program/equipment, potion or lotion.
By Michael Murphy