Fifteen years ago the World Health Organization (WHO) proposed adding the word “spiritual” to the definition of health contained in their constitution – at the time, a significant change for an organization created to coordinate and improve medical and health services around the globe. Sunday, April 7, World Health Day commemorates the creation of the
Two older gentlemen were just coming off the 18th hole at the golf course as I and my playing partners walked to the clubhouse before beginning our round. The one closest to us shared that his playing partner, although a little older than him, had won the round – and, oh, by the way, his playing partner was 95 years old.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has established Saturday, April 7, 2012 as World Health Day. The theme this year is: “Good health adds life to years”.
A study¹ published in The American Journal of Public Health in 1997 found that frequent religious attendance reduced mortality (adds years to life).
But the theme here is not to add years to life, but to add life to years. One very obvious and central way to add life to years (as well as to add years to life) is to achieve better health. But adding life to years involves much more than that.
