Is there really a difference between wellness care and health care? As currently practiced, you bet there is. The original definition of health more closely resembles a wellness type of approach to treating the human body. Unfortunately, the way health care is practiced now, it really has degraded into a disease management and treatment approach and not intended to improve health at all. Health is defined as the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Simply not suffering from a disease does not mean you are healthy. However, our current society approaches health in just this manner. If they are not suffering from a symptom, they think they are healthy. Just take a drug for your symptom and when it goes away, you must be fine. NOT TRUE.
Wellness is defined as the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal. While you may feel good, you aren't truly well unless you are practicing sound nutrition, getting plenty of exercise, not smoking, taking nutritional supplements, having a positive mental attitude, etc. I would propose that we combine a new definition of wellness care to be, the active process of improving the quality and state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. Notice that it is not a passive process, but an active process. You must take an active role in improving your well-being.
