1. Hannah Reitenbach
Philosophy Statement
HLTH 301-001
It is important to have a philosophy on a variety of subjects because it allows us to have a
greater understanding of the topic. For example, to have a philosophy of health means you have a
well-rounded knowledge of all that makes up health, as there are many aspects that are involved
in health. A philosophy helps to guide us in this understanding. Therefore, it is crucial for health
educators to develop a philosophy of health because it gives people the guidance that they need
to live healthier lives, and to fully understand this broad term. This is a common area in which
people need guidance. (106 words)
It is a good idea for one to create their own health philosophy. Health is a term that is
defined differently by everyone, especially professionals; it contains the same idea all around but
usually means something different. The World Health Organization defines health as “the state
of complete mental, physical, and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or
infirmity” (WHO, 1947, p.1). I agree with the majority of this definition. My personal
description of health would include all of those aspects, but I would add a few more to my own
definition. The components that I would include are spiritual, intellectual, and environmental.
These additions make up what wellness is, a positive quality that integrates all of these
dimensions to make up a “healthy person” (Donatelle, p. 82). I believe that over the several
decades since the World Health Organization’s definition came out, there are other dimensions
of life that have since been elaborated on. My personal health philosophy would be very similar
to World Health’s. I especially believe that simply lacking disease in one’s life does not make for

2. being healthy, which is a common belief, so I would clarify that absence of disease does not
always equal good health. My philosophy of health would emphasis the importance of a
philosophy of symmetry, which is health that includes physical, emotional, spiritual, and social
components, all viewed as equally as the other (Rash, p. 82). I believe that this philosophical
aspect of health is the best representation of what health is because nothing is excluded. Every
area of our lives is somehow related to our health, and so our philosophy should reflect that.
With all of that being said, my philosophy of health is the balance of the physical, emotional,
mental, spiritual, social, intellectual, and environmental components that make up our everyday
lives, and the symmetry and fluidity between them. (313 words)
Having a philosophy of health paves the way for a philosophy of health promotion. This
particular type of philosophy is the beliefs and attitudes one has towards the education and
knowledge of health. It is especially imperative for health educators to develop a philosophy of
health because is strongly affects the approach that they will take in promoting health beliefs,
those that are used to reach other people and share knowledge. It will also influence how they
behave and handle their careers. A health educator holding a philosophy of health promotion
gives them great influence over others with whom they will interact with. (103 words)
The definition for health promotion is more set and agreed upon than the definition for
health. It is “any planned combination of educational, political, environmental, regulatory, or
organizational mechanisms that support actions and conditions of living conducive to the health
of individuals, groups, and communities” (Joint Committee, 2012, p. 18). It uses a variety of
factors to encourage a well-rounded and balanced life. While it is life-changing for everyone to
have their own philosophy of health, it is less common and important for everyone to have their
own philosophy of health promotion. This is geared more towards health education specialists so

3. that they are able to apply their philosophy to those with whom they are working with. There are
five philosophies of health promotion and education; the behavior change philosophy is the one
that I most resonate and agree with. This involves a health professional using behavioral
contracts, setting goals, and self-monitoring to recognize changes that need to be made and how
to change unhealthy behavior. It is easy to measure these changes and therefore it is easy to
evaluate the results. The cognitive-based philosophy, which presses content and facts that will
increase knowledge about health-related topics that will better prepare people for making
decisions about their health. The social change philosophy focuses on using health professionals
to change the environment to benefit others in making healthy changes in their lives (Welle, p.
87-88). This can be done by adding parks or walking paths in housing developments or banning
smoking inside a restaurant. I believe that these three philosophies of health promotion best
encompass how to treat this topic, and therefore, I would include them in variation in my own
health promotion philosophy. With all of that being said, my philosophy of health promotion
includes the use of factual information and useful content, goal setting and self-awareness, and
modifying social aspects in a way that benefits those looking to make health-related change in
their lives. I believe that this philosophy would be successful in promoting better health because
it is inspired a bit by a few different philosophies that have been proven to work. Much like the
term “health” health promotion and education is made up of multiple dimensions, and therefore,
should be taken on with that in mind. (379 words)

4. Works Cited
Donatelle, R.J. (2011). Health: The basics, green edition. San Francisco: Pearson
Education.
Joint Committee on Health Education and Health Promotion Terminology.
(2012). Report of the 2011 joint committee on health education and promotion
terminology. Reston, VA: AAHE.
Rash, J.K. (2010). Philosophical bases for health education. In J.M. Black, S. Furney,
H.M. Graf, & A.E. Nolte (Eds.), Philosophical Foundations of Health Education (pp. 7-10). San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Welle, H.M., Russell, R.D., & Kittleson, M.J. (1995). Philosophical trends in health
education: Implications for the 21st century. Journal of Health Education, 26(6), 326-333.
World Health Organization (WHO). (1947). Constitution of the World Health
Organization.