The definition from the World Health Organization was last updated in 1948 (Huber 2011). Since then, 73 years have passed leaving lots of time for health to evolve and adapt. The current definition of health is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity", but what is this missing? Does this definition cover the full definition of health in the 21st century? Life expectancy since the early 20th century has increased by 20-23 years depending on gender (Statistics Canada 2018). With increased age, comes increased chronic disease. People living with chronic disease can still be considered healthy. To be completely free from physical, mental or social disease, no longer fits within the 21st century definition of health. In the British Medical Journal article, Health: How Should We Define it? criticizes the current World Health Organization's (WHO) definition largely over the word "complete" (Huber 2011). The definition of complete, means there is no room to allow for changes in health that humans could adapt to. Humans have been adapting to change our entire existence, and now we have learned to change, adapt, and cope with the ever-changing field of healthcare.

To be healthy is individualized to each human being. Someone living with depression is not free from mental health, yet they have learned coping strategies to live their best life. In the nursing field we gather health histories daily. We ask the question; do you have any medical history we should be aware of? When someone presents to the hospital with their health concern, we do not look at a long list of medical diagnosis and think, this person is unhealthy, we say they have a long medical history. The other week working in the emergency department we have a gentleman collapse in the parking lot, found with vital signs absent. We performed every life saving measure we could on him, but we ultimately lost the battle. When I interviewed his wife to gather his medical history for the physician, the wife described him as a “healthy fit man”. His only medical history was hypertensions that was controlled by antihypertensive medication. This man lived a great life, a healthy life, a fit life; he ate well, had a target range BMI, he exercised, did not smoke, he worked until the day he died, yet the World Health Organizations definition of health places him under an “ill” category. Is it even possible to be completely free from physical, mental, or social issues? The Pan African Medical Journal would agree it is almost impossible (Oleribe, Ukwedeh, Burstow, Gomaa, Sonderup, et. al., 2018).

New definitions of health have been described as “the ability to adapt and change to internal and external circumstance” (Brussoe 2013). But why is it so important to define health when health is individualized to each person? In the Pan African Medical Journal, they state that health is important for productivity and full life enjoyment (Oleribe et. al., 2018). Full life enjoyment, this statement made me stop and think. It made me reflect on my views of health. When I think of a healthy life, I do not think that depression stops me from having a healthy life, because I have learned to adapt to me changes. I have learned coping strategies to allow me to have joy in life, embrace my challenges and love my family. The best definition I have found to fit my beliefs to answer the question, What is Health? Is the following: “a state characterized by anatomic, physiologic, and psychological integrity; an ability to perform personally valued family, work, and community roles; an ability to deal with physical, biologic, psychological, and social stress” (Oleribe et. al., 2018).