第三期(2/5)

Then what was the emphasis of the work of the WHO during that period? Well, the emphasis was of course on providing clean water, improved sanitation and housing. I see. When did the concept begin to change? In the late 1940s, the WHO challenged this physically and medically oriented view of health. They stated that health was a complete state of physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease. The mind, body and spirit of a person were seen holistically. How long did this concept last? It lasted until the 1970s. At that time, people focused their attention on the prevention of disease and illness by emphasizing the importance of the lifestyle and behavior of the individual. Specific behaviors which were seen to increase risk of disease, such as smoking, lack of fitness and unhealthy eating habits, were targeted. Creating health meant providing not only medical health care, but health promotion programs and policies which would help people maintain healthy behavior and lifestyles. It sounds reasonable. It must have been beneficial to people. Unfortunately, not. But why? You see,this individualistic healthy lifestyles approach did help the wealthy members of the society. But the majority were people experiencing poverty, unemployment or little control over the conditions of their daily lives. How could people afford the program if they lived under unfavorable social and environmental factors? I’m beginning to see your point. A single lifestyle decides nothing if not integrated with a good environment. That’s right. So during the 1980s and 1990s, there has been a growing swing away from seeing lifestyle risks as the root cause of poor health