IF WE LOOK AFTER THE WOODS, THE WOODS WILL LOOK AFTER US

摘要

In 1948 the World Health Organisation defined health as not merely the absence of disease, but as a positive state of physical, mental and social weltbeing. The implication of this is that our health and weltbeing isn't just determined by biological factors, but is profoundly influenced by our social context. In the UK, when the National Health Service was established in the same year, it was assumed that the provision of free services would soon make people well. Increasingly, however, it is clear that wellness doesn't necessarily derive directly from medical interventions, but is dependent on how we live our lives in a broader sense.