[originaltext]W: I am talking to Richard Johnson, an official of the World Heal

W: I am talking to Richard Johnson, an official of the World Health Organization. Today he will talk with us about the change of people’s understanding of health. Hello, Richard.
M: Hello.
W: Now, Richard, the concept of health has been changing all the time. So would you mind telling us the original one?
M: Of course not. Health has long been viewed in the physical sense only. That is, good health has been connected to the smooth mechanical operation of body. In this sense, health has been defined as the absence of disease or illness and is seen in medical terms.
W: I see. When did the concept begin to change?
M: 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.
W: How long did this concept last?
M: 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 individuals. Creating health meant providing not only medical health care, but health promotion programs and policies which would help people maintain healthy behavior and lifestyles.
W: It sounds reasonable. It must have been beneficial to people.
M: Unfortunately, not.
W: But why?
M:(3)You see, this individualistic healthy lifestyles approach did help the wealthy members of 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?
W: I’m beginning to see your point. A single lifestyle decides nothing if not integrated with a good environment.
M: 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. While lifestyle factors still remain important,(4)health is being viewed also in terms of the social, economic and environmental contexts in which people live.
W: This is a new concept of health. And I heard it’s called the socio-ecological view, isn’t it?
M: Yes. In 1986, representatives from 38 countries gathered in Ottawa, Canada, to hold the first International Conference of Health Promotion. It was at that conference that(5 - 4)the broad socio-ecological view of health was endorsed.
W: What were the details of the endorsement?
M: Well, the representatives declared that the fundamental conditions and resources for health are peace, shelter, education, food, a viable income, a stable ecosystem, sustainable resources, social justice and equity. Moreover, improvement in health requires a secure foundation in these basic requirements.
W: That’s right. Then what is the basic philosophy of this health promotion?
M: Very easy to understand. Just to enable people to increase control over and to improve their health.
W: The new concept of health you have told us today is very useful to our understanding of health. Thank you very much.
M: You are welcome.
1. According to Richard, what was the concept of health before the 1940s?
2. When did the WHO define health in terms of the holistic operation of a person’s mind, body and spirit?
3. What attitude does Richard hold toward the individualistic healthy lifestyles approach?
4. According to the socio-ecological view of health, which of the following is NOT related to people’s health?
5. According to the conversation, how many stages has the concept of health undergone?