Health Is Wealth Essay for Students and Children

500+ words health is wealth essay.

Growing up you might have heard the term ‘Health is Wealth’, but its essential meaning is still not clear to most people. Generally, people confuse good health with being free of any kind of illness. While it may be part of the case, it is not entirely what good health is all about. In other words, to lead a healthy life , a person must be fit and fine both physically and mentally. For instance, if you are constantly eating junk food yet you do not have any disease, it does not make you healthy. You are not consuming healthy food which naturally means you are not healthy, just surviving. Therefore, to actually live and not merely survive, you need to have the basic essentials that make up for a healthy lifestyle.

health is wealth essay

Introduction

Life is about striking a balance between certain fundamental parts of life. Health is one of these aspects. We value health in the same way that we value time once we have lost it. We cannot rewind time, but the good news is that we can regain health with some effort. A person in good physical and mental health may appreciate the world to the fullest and meet life’s problems with ease and comfort. Health is riches implies that health is a priceless asset rather than money or ownership of material possessions. There is no point in having money if you don’t have good health.

Key Elements Of A Healthy Lifestyle

If you wish to acquire a healthy lifestyle, you will certainly have to make some changes in your life. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle demands consistent habits and disciplined life. There are various good habits that you can adopt like exercising regularly which will maintain your physical fitness. It also affects your mental health as when your appearance enhances, your confidence will automatically get boosted.

To live a healthy life, one must make some lifestyle modifications. These modifications can include changes to your food habits, sleeping routines, and lifestyle. You should eat a well-balanced, nutrient-dense diet for your physical wellness.

Further, it will prevent obesity and help you burn out extra fat from your body. After that, a balanced diet is of great importance. When you intake appropriate amounts of nutrition, vitamins, proteins, calories and more, your immune system will strengthen. This will, in turn, help you fight off diseases powerfully resulting in a disease-free life.

Above all, cleanliness plays a significant role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Your balanced diet and regular exercise will be completely useless if you live in an unhealthy environment. One must always maintain cleanliness in their surroundings so as to avoid the risk of catching communicable diseases.

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Benefits Of A Healthy Lifestyle

As it is clear by now, good health is a luxury which everyone wants but some of them cannot afford. This point itself states the importance of a healthy lifestyle. When a person leads a healthy lifestyle, he/she will be free from the tension of seeking medical attention every now and then.

why health is better than wealth essay

On the contrary, if you have poor health, you will usually spend your time in a hospital and the bills will take away your mental peace. Therefore, a healthy lifestyle means you will be able to enjoy your life freely. Similarly, when you have a relaxed mind at all times, you will be able to keep your loved ones happy. A healthy individual is more likely to fulfil all of his goals because he can easily focus on them and has the energy to complete them. This is why the proverb “Health is Wealth” carries so much weight.

A socially healthy individual is one who is able to interact effectively and readily connect with others. Without his ego, he can easily blend with the person in front of him, exuding a nice feeling and energy.

Every human being should participate in sports and activities to get away from the monotony of daily life. It is because sports and games assist in instilling a sense of oneness in people, build leadership skills, and make a person absolutely disciplined.

Moreover, a healthy lifestyle will push you to do better in life and motivate you to achieve higher targets. It usually happens that people who are extremely wealthy in terms of money often lack good health. This just proves that all the riches in the world will do you no good if there is an absence of a healthy lifestyle.

In short, healthy life is the highest blessing that must not be taken for granted. It is truly the source of all happiness. Money may buy you all the luxuries in the world but it cannot buy you good health. You are solely responsible for that, so for your well-being and happiness, it is better to switch to a healthy lifestyle.

Good Health for Children

Childhood is an ideal period to inculcate healthy behaviours in children. Children’s health is determined by a variety of factors, including diet, hydration, sleep schedule, hygiene, family time, doctor visits, and physical exercise. Following are a few key points and health tips that parents should remember for their children:

  • Never allow your children to get by without nutritious food. Fruits and vegetables are essential.
  • Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, therefore teach them to frequently wash their hands and feet.
  • Sleep is essential for your child.
  • Make it a habit for them to drink plenty of water.
  • Encourage physical activity and sports.
  • Allow them enough time to sleep.
  • It is critical to visit the doctor on a regular basis for checks.

Parents frequently focus solely on their children’s physical requirements. They dress up their children’s wounds and injuries and provide them with good food. However, they frequently fail to detect their child’s deteriorating mental health. This is because they do not believe that mental health is important.

Few Lines on Health is Wealth Essay for Students

  • A state of physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being is referred to as health. And all of this is linked to one another.
  • Stress, worry, and tension are the leading causes of illness and disease in today’s world. When these three factors are present for an extended period of time, they can result in a variety of mental difficulties, which can lead to physical and emotional illnesses. As a result, taking care of your own health is critical.
  • Unhealthy food or contaminated water, packed and processed food and beverages, unsanitary living conditions, not getting enough sleep, and a lack of physical activity are some of the other primary causes of health deterioration.
  • A well-balanced diet combined with adequate exercise and hygienic habits, as well as a clean environment, can enhance immunity and equip a person to fight most diseases.
  • A healthy body and mind are capable of achieving things that a sick body and mind are incapable of achieving, including happiness.
  • It is also vital to seek medical and professional assistance when necessary because health is our most valuable asset.
  • Activities such as playing an instrument, playing games, or reading provide the brain with the required exercise it requires to improve health.

Maintaining healthy behaviours improves one’s outlook on life and contributes to longevity as well as success.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: What are the basic essentials of a healthy life? Answer: A healthy life requires regular exercise, a balanced diet, a clean environment, and good habits.

Question 2: How can a healthy life be beneficial? Answer: A healthy lifestyle can benefit you in various ways. You will lead a happier life free from any type of disease. Moreover, it will also enhance your state of mind.

Question 3: When is World Health Day celebrated?

Answer: Since 1950, World Health Day has been observed on the 7th of April by the World Health Organization (WHO), after a decision made at the first Health Assembly in 1948. It is observed to raise awareness about people’s overall health and well-being around the world.

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Essay on Health is Wealth: 200, 300 and 400 Words

why health is better than wealth essay

  • Updated on  
  • May 2, 2024

Essay on health is wealth

Essay on Health is Wealth: The saying “health is wealth” rings true for all of us. Material possessions lose their lustre when you are unwell. Good health allows us to experience life fully, with energy for work, relationships, and enjoyment. While money can buy medical care, it cannot buy true health and happiness. By prioritising healthy habits like balanced meals and exercise, you invest in your greatest asset – your well-being.

Table of Contents

  • 1 Essay on Health is Wealth in 200 Words
  • 2 Essay on Health is Wealth in 300 Words
  • 3.1 Physical Well-Being
  • 3.2 Mental Health
  • 3.3 Economic success
  • 3.4 Life Quality
  • 4 11+ Quotes on Health and Well Being

Quick Read: How to Calculate Percentage in ICSE Board Class 10?

Essay on Health is Wealth in 200 Words

‘The most important wealth in the world is our health. Today, everyone is running after a materialistic life, ignoring true happiness and their well-being. In this chaotic and digital world, the phrase “health is wealth” holds great importance. It reminds us that having good health is the foundation on which a fulfilling life is built. 

Speaking of the advantages of having good health, it allows us to enjoy life to the fullest. Without having a healthy mind and body the whole process becomes elusive. 

Moreover, success and productivity depend on being in excellent health. It enables people to achieve their goals, work productively, and give back to society. An unwell person frequently encounters obstacles that prevent them from realising their hopes and dreams.

Keeping one’s health is also an investment in the future. Regular exercise and a healthy diet are two preventative healthcare practices that can assist in avoiding the need for future, expensive medical treatments. It is important to take a responsible approach to protecting one’s general well-being as well as one’s financial wealth.

Finally,” health is wealth” emphasises the importance of well-being in our lives. It reminds us that the priceless gift of health cannot be replaced by any amount of material prosperity. One must put their health first and treasure it beyond everything else if one wants to live a truly wealthy and fulfilling life.

Quick Read: Essay on Best Friend

Essay on Health is Wealth in 300 Words

Health is riches, after all. This proverb, which emphasises the critical necessity of health in one’s life, is full of timeless wisdom. It is simple to ignore the priceless gem that good health represents in a world that is focused on material prosperity and material interests.

First and foremost, being healthy helps people to live happy and fruitful lives. It serves as the cornerstone on which all other accomplishments are constructed. When someone is in good health, they have the vigour, strength, and stamina to achieve their aspirations, objectives, and ambitions. Poor health, on the other hand, can be a formidable obstacle that restricts one’s potential and prospects.

Additionally, having good health results in a higher quality of life. Healthy people require fewer medical procedures and are less in pain and suffering. They can enjoy life’s simple pleasures like spending time with loved ones, going outside, and eating good food without worrying about their diet.

The state of one’s health is crucial to their mental well-being. Mental health and physical well-being are tightly related. An emotionally stable and resilient state of mind is frequently a byproduct of physical health. The importance of health in one’s entire well-being is further highlighted by the fact that poor health can result in stress, worry, and depression.

The economic effects of health are another important factor. People who are in good health tend to be more productive at work, which increases earnings and improves financial security. On the other hand, health issues can cause medical expenses and decreased earning potential, which can have a considerable influence on one’s financial security.

The term “health is wealth” embodies a profound truth, to sum it up. The most valuable asset a person can have is good health because it supports all other facets of life. It enables people to live fulfilling lives, pursue their aspirations, and maintain their mental and emotional health. As a result, we must give our health priority and make the necessary investments because it is the only type of wealth that will never be exceeded or replaced by worldly belongings.

Quick Read: Trees are Our Best Friend Essay

Essay on Health is Wealth in 400 Words 

The proverb “Health is Wealth” maintains a special place in our lives. It emphasises how important good health is as the cornerstone of a successful and joyful life. The genuine meaning of riches is frequently missed in today’s fast-paced society when success is frequently gauged in monetary terms. This essay explores the deep significance of this adage and shows how true it is that the best asset anyone can have is their health.

Here are all the benefits one gets:

Physical Well-Being

Being physically healthy is the same as being in good health. Our bodies perform at their peak when we are healthy, enabling us to go about our daily lives with vigour and enthusiasm. A productive existence is built on a foundation of physical fitness. It makes it possible for us to work effectively, pursue our objectives, and fully appreciate life. Even the most plentiful wealth becomes meaningless in the absence of health.

Mental Health

 In addition to physical health, mental health is a critical element of our entire prosperity. Ageless wisdom is having a good mind and a healthy body. Our cognitive functioning, emotional stability, and resiliency in the face of difficulties are all influenced by our mental health. Material prosperity can become a cause of stress and unhappiness in the absence of mental wellness.

Economic success

Economic success is directly correlated with good health. People may actively participate in the workforce and make more money when they are healthy. Healthier populations are also less financially burdened by healthcare expenses, releasing funds for other basic requirements. As a result, investing in healthcare is an investment in the prosperity of a country.

Life Quality

The genuine wealth of life is found in its excellence. A person in good health can enjoy life’s joys, go on trips, engage in hobbies, and spend time with loved ones. No amount of money can replace the richness that these experiences bring to life. Healthy people are better able to live fulfilling and pleasurable lives.

To conclude, the motto “Health is Wealth” perfectly describes what a prosperous life entails. While having material possessions is necessary for comfort and security, how we use and enjoy our wealth is ultimately influenced by our health. Given that health is the foundation upon which all other types of wealth are formed, investing in it should be a top priority. One must understand that health is the ultimate treasure that neither money nor anything else can ever fully replace or imitate to truly understand its worth. Therefore, let us never lose sight of the fact that our health is the most priceless asset we have when pursuing success and happiness.

Also Read: Essay on Health and Fitness for Students

11+ Quotes on Health and Well Being

Here are popular quotes on health and well-being:

  • “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” – Jim Rohn
  • “Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind and spirit.” – B.K.S. Iyengar (Yoga teacher)
  • “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” – Benjamin Franklin (Polymath)
  • “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” – Hippocrates (Ancient Greek physician)
  • “A sound mind in a sound body.” – Juvenal (Roman satirist)
  • “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” – Zig Ziglar (Motivational speaker)
  • “Your body hears everything your mind says.” – Naomi Judd (Singer)
  • “The first wealth is health.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson (American philosopher)
  • “The groundwork for all happiness is health.” – Leigh Hunt (British writer)
  • “To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise, we shall not be able to keep the mind strong and clear.” – Gautam Buddha (Spiritual leader)
  • “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” – Oprah Winfrey (Talk show host)
  • “Peace is the result, not of the absence of conflict, but of the ability to handle it.” – Roosevelt (American President)

Explore other Essay topics for school students here:

Wealth and health are vital, but many people believe that health is ultimately more crucial. This is because it is challenging to gain from riches without being in excellent health.

A healthy person has an improved social life and a sound mental condition, which refers to a person’s emotional and psychological state and is just as important for health as physical fitness.

A person with poor mental health has a higher chance of chronic physical conditions. If you are physically fit and active, your neural functioning is enhanced which can be beneficial for your academic, social and personal environment.

For more information on such informative topics for your school, visit our essay writing page and follow Leverage Edu ! 

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Malvika is a content writer cum news freak who comes with a strong background in Journalism and has worked with renowned news websites such as News 9 and The Financial Express to name a few. When not writing, she can be found bringing life to the canvasses by painting on them.

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  • Health is Wealth Essay

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Importance of Working Towards Good Health

Health is God’s gift to us. Health refers to the physical and mental state of a human being. To stay healthy is not an option but a necessity to live a happy life. The basic laws of good health are related to the food we eat, the amount of physical exercise we do, our cleanliness, rest, and relaxation. A healthy person is normally more confident, self-assured, sociable, and energetic. A healthy person views things calmly, and without prejudice.

Introduction

“The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, answered "Man! Because he sacrifices his health to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.” This signifies that individuals don’t prioritise their mental health to earn money. Some even work 24 hours a day or seven days a week. 

However, you have the option to remain balanced. So, balance work and fitness daily. Always strive to keep a cheerful as well as a concentrated routine. It is necessary to plan ahead of time. In any case, one must maintain a good mental, bodily, and emotional state, and no professional or counsellor can assist you unless you desire to live. The will to live in the moment and make the most of it awakens the ideal strength within you, and you are the only one who can never let yourself fall apart. 

Importance of Maintaining Health

We live in a super-fast age. The Internet has shrunk the world dramatically and people are connected 24x7. Multitasking is the order of the day, as we struggle to fulfill our responsibilities for everyone in life. In this fight, we often forget to spare time for ourselves. The stress levels continue to build up until one day a major collapse may make us realize that in all this hectic activity, we have forgotten to take care of one important thing – our health.  

As we spend days shuttling between hospital and home, putting our body through one test after another, trying to find out what has gone wrong, we are forced to remember that ‘Health is indeed Wealth’.  

In earlier days, life was very simple. People worked for a stipulated time, often walked everywhere, ate more homemade food, did household chores, and enjoyed a healthy balance in life.  

Now people have cars and bikes to commute, so they walk less. With the demand for more working hours, people are awake till late at night and indulge in more junk food than home-cooked food. Modern equipment at home has reduced the labour work and increased dependency on this equipment.  People don’t have enough time to exercise or even get enough sunlight. Nowadays people are living very unhealthy lifestyles.  

Unhealthy living conditions have increased the contraction of people to various diseases like obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, hypertension, etc. This has alarming implications in the near future. So it is very important to focus on our health as much as we focus on our work. Moderation in food habits, daily exercise, and balanced work-life can surely make a big difference to our health and body. When a person stays mentally and physically fit, his actions and decisions are more practical and logical and hence he is more successful in life. Furthermore, good health has a direct impact on our personality.

It's crucial to consider how much self-control you have to keep a healthy lifestyle. Research reveals that changing one's behaviour and daily patterns are quite tough. According to the data, whether a person has a habit of smoking, drinking alcohol, doing drugs, or any other substance, it is extremely difficult to quit. A study found that 80% of smokers who tried to quit failed, with only 46% succeeding.

Importance of Good Health 

A healthy body has all the major components that help in the proper functioning of the body. The essential component is the state of physical health. Your life term extends when you maintain good physical fitness. If you are committed to exercising with a sensible diet, then you can develop a sense of well-being and can even prevent yourself from chronic illness, disability, and premature death.  

Some of the benefits of increased physical activity are as follows. 

It Improves Our Health  

1. It increases the efficiency of the heart and lungs. 

2. A good walk can reduce cholesterol levels.  

3. Good exercise increases muscle strength. 

4. It reduces blood pressure. 

5. It reduces the risk of major illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.

Improved Sense of Well-being  

1. It helps in developing more energy. 

2. It reduces stress levels. 

3. Quality of sleep improves. 

4. It helps in developing the ability to cope with stress. 

5. It increases mental sharpness. 

Improved Appearances  

1. Weight loss contributes to a good physique.  

2. Toned muscles generate more energy. 

3. Improved posture enhances our appearance. 

Enhanced Social Life  

1. It improves self-image 

2. It increases opportunities to make new friends. 

3. It increases opportunities to share an activity with friends or family members. 

Increased Stamina  

1. Increased productivity. 

2. Increased physical capabilities. 

3. Less frequent injuries. 

4. Improved immunity to minor illnesses. 

Along with physical fitness, a good mental state is also essential for good health. Mental health means the emotional and psychological state of an individual. The best way to maintain good mental health is by staying positive and meditating. 

However, unlike a machine, the body needs rest at regular intervals. A minimum of six to seven hours of sleep is necessary for the body to function optimally. Drinking plenty of water and a balanced diet is also very important for your body.  If you violate the basic laws of good health, like working late hours, ignoring physical exercise, eating junk food, it will lead to various ailments like hypertension, heart attacks, and other deadly diseases. 

What is National Health Day? 

Every year on April 7th, World Health Day is celebrated. The World Health Organization (WHO) hosted the inaugural World Health Day on April 7, 1950, to draw the entire world’s attention to global health. 

Every year, the World Health Organization (WHO) comes up with a new theme for public awareness, such as "Support Nurses and Midwives" in 2020. This supports the situation of COVID-19, where healthcare workers are saving lives day and night without worrying about their health.

The WHO also operates a global health promotion initiative to align equality so that individuals can take control of their lives, "every life matters," and consider their fitness. The government promotes numerous health policies, including food security, workplace quality, and health literacy, in schools, colleges, workplaces, and various community activities. 

Good Health for Children 

Children need to maintain good physical and mental health. With an increase in the pressure of studies and over-indulgence in modern gadgets, children are losing the most precious thing, which is health. These days, they barely play in the playgrounds, they are more inclined towards junk food and spend more time on the screen. These unhealthy activities are slowly sabotaging their health. Parents should concentrate on the physical and mental health of their children, and inculcate good habits for maintaining a healthy lifestyle from a tender age.   

Cleanliness also has a major role to play in maintaining good health. Taking a bath every day, washing hands before eating meals, brushing twice a day, changing clothes regularly, etc. are important habits to maintain good health.  

Society is witnessing gloomy faces as a result of children and their parents' excessive usage of a computer, mobile phone, and the Internet. They are constantly using these technological items, oblivious to the fact that they may harm their health. Teenagers are frequently discovered engrossed in their electronic devices, resulting in mishaps. 

The usage of electronic devices frequently results in anxiety and hostility. Excessive usage of these products has been linked to cancer, vision loss, weight gain, and insomnia. 

Emotional development is another crucial component that should not be disregarded because it determines whether or not a person is healthy. An emotionally healthy person should have a solid sense of logic, realisation, and a realistic outlook. 

Conclusion 

Health is Wealth because if we are not healthy then all our wealth, fame and power can bring no enjoyment. Keeping fit and healthy is indeed not an option but a necessity.  

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FAQs on Health is Wealth Essay

1. Why is Health Considered as Wealth?

Health is wealth because it is one of God’s most precious gift to human beings. Good health refers to a balanced and healthy physical and mental state of an individual. If any individual is not healthy, wealth, fame, and power can bring no enjoyment. So health has more value than materialistic things.

2. When is World Health Day Celebrated?

World Health Day is celebrated on 7 th April to raise awareness about health and fitness.

3. How Can You Maintain Good Health?

You can maintain good health by following a balanced and healthy diet. Have a good lifestyle by balancing work and life. You should have a moderate physical fitness regime every day. Go for brisk walks regularly or do other forms of exercise. Also, meditate and be positive to take care of your mental health.

4. Who came up with the phrase "health is wealth"?

If a man begins to live a lifestyle without a plan or unhealthy manner, he will confront numerous difficulties. He'd be depressed on the inside, untidy and filthy on the outside, and emotionally unstable all the time. A person who lives an unhealthy lifestyle will wake up late at night and early in the morning. Not only would this affect their mental condition, but it would also poison their surroundings. 

There would be a lot of wrath and sadness, and they would have fits from time to time.

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Healthy Lifestyle — Health is Wealth: the Relationship Between Well-being and Prosperity

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Health is Wealth: The Relationship Between Well-being and Prosperity

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Published: Sep 1, 2023

Words: 617 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

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The precious asset of well-being, prosperity through productivity, the cost of illness: financial and emotional strain, investing in long-term well-being, in conclusion.

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why health is better than wealth essay

  • Health is Wealth

Health is Wealth Essay

500+ words essay on health is wealth.

The proverb ‘Health is Wealth’ is highly popular, indicating the significance of “Health” to us. However, the proverb’s true meaning is lost now, as many believe that just being free of any illness makes for a healthy life. But, that’s not all that good health is all about. A person has to be fit not just physically but mentally as well, to be known as completely healthy. Other aspects adding to it are emotional and social health, as well. This “Health is Wealth Essay” is an essential topic for essay writing, and students can read on to know how to score well in English essays.

Essay on Health is Wealth Proverb In English

A definition of health includes your physical, mental, emotional and social well-being. To maintain a healthy lifestyle, you will have to follow these tips given in the health is wealth paragraph below.

Vital Aspects of a Health is Wealth Lifestyle

You need to understand that to write an essay on “Health Is Wealth”, you need to include the below-given points.

  • Consistent habit and a disciplined life helps to maintain a healthy lifestyle
  • Enhancing your appearance helps to boost your confidence and mental health
  • Exercise helps to burn out extra fat and keeps you happy
  • Strengthen your immune system so that you don’t fall ill often
  • Cleanliness is another factor that adds to a healthy lifestyle
  • Clean surroundings help to avoid the risk of infectious diseases
  • Taking proper rest is another factor that allows us to lead a healthy lifestyle

Advantages of a Healthy Lifestyle

Having a healthy lifestyle is the key to being happy. It also helps to motivate you to achieve higher targets. Meanwhile, all the luxuries in this world are useless if you do not get well soon. While money may buy you good things in life, it does not guarantee a healthy life for you. You are solely responsible for that. You should also avoid junk food if you wish to lead a very healthy, happy life. Undue stress should also be avoided. One main advantage of leading a healthy habit is that it brings positivity to your life, leading to longevity and success. It is imperative to balance your life and work to attain a healthy lifestyle, free from mental stress .

Thus, we can see that maintaining a healthy and active mind and body is the key to balancing your daily activities. Meanwhile, the greed for luxury and wealth creation has also resulted in health-related issues for many. Being able to stay fit and healthy is indeed a blessing. Tips to attain this are discussed here in this ‘Health is Wealth’ essay in English.

Read more: Independence Day Essay | Women Empowerment | Essay On Constitution of India

Frequently Asked Questions on Health is wealth Essay

What is the meaning of the phrase ‘health is wealth’.

It refers to the fact that the health of a person is the most valuable and precious thing he can have.

How to stay healthy?

You can maintain your health by exercising regularly, eating homemade and balanced food, avoiding saturated fats and relaxing your mind by focusing on living stress-free.

What are the benefits of a healthy lifestyle?

Benefits of a healthy lifestyle are decreased risk of illness, higher immunity, stress-free life and a positive mindset.

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Essay on Health Is Wealth

Students are often asked to write an essay on Health Is Wealth in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Health Is Wealth

Introduction.

Health is our most precious wealth. It’s a vital aspect of life, as it influences our ability to enjoy, work, and live happily.

The Importance of Health

Good health allows us to perform our tasks with energy and enthusiasm. It helps us stay active, both physically and mentally.

Health and Happiness

Health is the key to happiness. Without health, wealth or success doesn’t have much meaning.

In conclusion, health is wealth because it provides us the strength to achieve our dreams. So, let’s prioritize our health.

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250 Words Essay on Health Is Wealth

Understanding the proverb: health is wealth.

The adage “Health is wealth” underscores the fundamental concept of prioritizing health above all else, including wealth. As college students, we often find ourselves caught in the whirlwind of academic pressures, forgetting the importance of maintaining good health.

Health as a Prerequisite for Success

Health is not merely the absence of disease but also a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. It is the cornerstone of a fulfilling life, enabling individuals to pursue their goals effectively. Without good health, even the wealthiest person cannot enjoy their riches. Conversely, a healthy person, despite having less wealth, can lead a more enjoyable and productive life.

The Interplay of Health and Wealth

While wealth can provide better healthcare facilities, the pursuit of wealth at the expense of health can lead to a vicious cycle of illnesses and medical bills. Thus, it’s crucial to strike a balance, securing wealth without compromising health.

Investing in Health

Investing in health is not just about regular exercise and a balanced diet; it also includes mental health care. This involves stress management, maintaining a positive outlook, and fostering healthy relationships. As students, we must be proactive about our health, integrating healthy habits into our daily routines.

In conclusion, the proverb “Health is wealth” serves as a reminder that health is the most significant wealth one can possess. It is an investment that yields lifelong returns, enabling us to lead a fulfilling life. Therefore, as we strive for academic and professional success, let’s not forget to invest in our health, our true wealth.

500 Words Essay on Health Is Wealth

Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. This comprehensive definition underlines the complex nature of health and its profound impact on our lives. The axiom “Health is Wealth” encapsulates this idea, emphasizing the intrinsic value of health over material wealth.

The Primacy of Health

The importance of health in our lives cannot be overstated. It is the foundation upon which all other aspects of our lives are built. Without good health, even the most significant achievements or wealth can lose their meaning. A healthy body is a fertile ground for a sound mind, enabling us to think clearly, perform tasks efficiently, and enjoy life to its fullest.

Health and Productivity

Good health directly correlates with productivity, an essential factor for economic prosperity. Healthy individuals contribute more effectively to their communities and workplaces, driving economic growth. On the contrary, poor health can lead to decreased productivity, increased healthcare costs, and a diminished quality of life. Thus, investing in health is akin to investing in wealth.

The Socio-Economic Dimensions of Health

Health is also a social determinant that can influence one’s socio-economic status. Individuals with poor health often face obstacles in education and employment, leading to a cycle of poverty and further health deterioration. Conversely, those with good health have better opportunities for upward mobility. Therefore, health and wealth are interdependent, each influencing the other.

Health, Lifestyle, and Choices

Health is not a static state but a dynamic process influenced by our lifestyle choices. Regular physical activity, balanced nutrition, adequate sleep, and stress management are key factors in maintaining good health. These healthy habits are an investment in our future, just as saving and investing money contribute to future wealth.

The Role of Public Health

Public health initiatives play a crucial role in promoting health and, by extension, wealth. They aim to prevent disease and promote health at a population level through policies, education, and interventions. Investment in public health not only saves lives but also contributes to economic stability by reducing healthcare costs and increasing productivity.

In conclusion, health is indeed wealth. It is the foundation of a fulfilling life and a thriving society. It influences our productivity, socio-economic status, and overall quality of life. By adopting healthy lifestyles and supporting public health initiatives, we can invest in our health, thereby creating wealth not just for ourselves, but for our communities and societies as well. As we navigate through the complexities of the 21st century, let us remember this timeless wisdom and strive to make health a priority in our personal lives and public policies.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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why health is better than wealth essay

Why good health is the first wealth

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Stay up to date:, future of global health and healthcare.

“The first wealth is health,” American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in 1860.­

Emerson’s quote, cited by Harvard economist and health expert David E. Bloom in Finance and Development ’s lead article, reminds us that good health is the foundation on which to build—a life, a community, an economy.­

Humanity has made great strides, developing vaccines and medical techniques that allow us to live longer, healthier lives. Other developments—such as increased access to clean water and sanitation—have helped beat back long-standing ills and pave the way for better health.

But the story is not one of endless progress. As we went to press with our December issue of Finance and Development, the world was dealing with the worst outbreak of the Ebola virus on record, a grim reminder of our vulnerability and of the distance yet to go. And, though not often the subject of headlines, the great disparities in health—evident, for example, in the a 38-year gap in life expectancy between Japan (83 years) and Sierra Leone (45 years)—raise issues of equity and point to the need to press forward on multiple fronts.

In this issue of F&D, we’ve assembled a lineup of accomplished authors to look at global health from a variety of angles. They look at today’s health systems—the amalgam of people, practices, rules, and institutions that serve the health needs of a population—and at the economics behind them.

In his broad-ranging article, Bloom underscores the role good health plays in an individual’s or household’s ability to rise, or stay, above the poverty line. Several articles explore health care spending: Victoria Fan and Amanda Glassman examine  the shift in public health spending from central governments to states and cities; and Benedict Clements, Sanjeev Gupta, and Baoping Shang take a look at whether  the recent slowdown in public health spending in advanced economies is permanent.­

We offer several reports from the front lines: health ministers from Colombia  and  Rwanda discuss major challenges in their jobs, and the CEO of a pharmaceutical company looks at impediments to developing drugs to fight emerging diseases . Another special feature considers four major health threats of the 21st century .­

Elsewhere in this issue, Maureen Burke profiles 2012 Nobel Prize winner Alvin Roth , and Picture This offers insight into our increasingly urbanized world.­

This article is published in collaboration with IMF Direct . Publication does not imply endorsement of views by the World Economic Forum.

To keep up with Forum:Agenda  subscribe to our weekly newsletter .

Author: Jeff Hayden is Editor in Chief of Finance & Development magazine and of the IMF Survey News report.  

Image: A nurse poses for a photo in a trauma center of the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi October 4, 2013. REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman

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World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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The costs of inequality: money = quality health care = longer life.

Federal insurance has helped many, but system’s holes limit gains, Harvard analysts say

Alvin Powell

Harvard Staff Writer

Fourth in a series on what Harvard scholars are doing to identify and understand inequality, in seeking solutions to one of America’s most vexing problems.

If you want to get an idea of the gap between the world’s sickest and healthiest people, don’t fly to a faraway land. Just look around the United States.

Health inequality is part of American life, so deeply entangled with other social problems — disparities in income , education , housing, race, gender, and even geography — that analysts have trouble saying which factors are cause and which are effect. The confusing result, they say, is a massive chicken-and-egg puzzle, its solution reaching beyond just health care. Because of that, everyday realities often determine whether people live in health or infirmity, to a ripe old age or early death.

“There are huge inequalities in this country that often get overlooked … If you want to observe the problems of poverty and inequality, you don’t need to travel all the way to Malawi. You can go to a rural house in America,” said Ichiro Kawachi, John L. Loeb and Frances Lehman Loeb Professor of Social Epidemiology and chair of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences. “If you’re born a black man in, let’s say, New Orleans Parish, your average life expectancy is worse than the male average of countries that are much poorer than America.”

Scholars say that inequality in health is actually three related problems. The first, and most critical, involves disparities in health itself: rates of asthma, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, drug abuse, violence, and other afflictions. The second problem involves disparities in care, including access to hospitals, clinics, doctors’ offices, skilled professionals, medical technology, essential medicine, and proper procedures to deal with illness and disease. The third problem, one that has grabbed national headlines in recent years, is inequality in health insurance, the financial means to pay for the care people get to stay well.

The three problems, scholars say, require interlaced solutions. President Obama’s signature health care law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), has taken important strides in narrowing the gap in health insurance coverage, but those gains so far have translated to limited advances in ensuring access to quality medical care and even less progress in making diverse groups equally healthy.

“That’s an area where there’s less progress and more disappointment,” said John McDonough, professor of the practice of public health at the Harvard Chan School. McDonough has worked on health care reform both in Massachusetts, which created the model for national care, and at the federal level.

Disparities are built into the health care landscape, but there has been great progress in recent decades, according to S.V. Subramanian, professor of population health and geography at the Harvard Chan School and the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies . Life expectancy is increasing for African-Americans and the poor, albeit at a lower rate than for wealthy whites. Although stark disparities remain, the overall health picture in this country is one of improvement, analysts say.

“I sometimes feel that the public health narrative is all doom and gloom, but that’s inaccurate,” Subramanian said.

Still, the remaining disparities are bell-clear in one of the bluntest measures of health: life expectancy, which varies, depending on a resident’s race and ethnicity, as much as 30 years between the richest and poorest U.S. counties. That gap, Kawachi said, covers about two-thirds of the range seen between the world’s healthiest and unhealthiest populations.

In addition, a new study by the Brookings Institution found that the gap has widened considerably. An upper-income man born in 1920, for example, could expect to live five years longer than someone at the lower end of the income spectrum. But for men born in 1940, that life-expectancy divide based on income has more than doubled, to 12 years.

Health disparities are a major reason why U.S. life expectancy trails many peer nations, Kawachi said. According to a 2014 report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), U.S. life expectancy in 2012 was 78.7 years, 27th out of the group’s 34 industrialized democracies.

The fault line of income, and care

Health disparities form along several societal fault lines, but analysts say the deepest and most persistent divide surrounds income. America’s poor — of any race or ethnicity — are sicker than well-off Americans, Kawachi said. They get substandard care, live in poor housing and degraded environments, and have higher rates of suicide, violence, drug overdose, accidents, and smoking.

“It’s not only a question of racial disparities,” Kawachi said. “At the root of it are unequal economic opportunities, unequal education, and despair.”

Disparities due to poverty hurt racial and ethnic minorities more than other groups because they make up a large proportion of the poor. Not only do they have more ailments, but they often get worse care.

“If you’re having a heart attack, there are very standardized protocols. If you’re African-American, you’re less likely to get those, even with the same health insurance, even with the same presentation,” said Ashish Jha, the K.T. Li Professor of International Health, professor of medicine, and director of the Harvard Global Health Institute. “It’s things like that that trouble us.”

Disparities in health, Jha said, begin at birth for many African-Americans and persist through life.

“One thing we hoped is that the health care system would be part of the solution. What we find, over and over, is that not only does it not do that consistently, sometimes it makes things worse,” Jha said. “It’s obviously deeply disappointing.”

Though health professionals generally care deeply about their poor and minority patients, the problem nonetheless may be rooted in racism, according to David Williams, Florence Sprague Norman and Laura Smart Norman Professor of Public Health at the Harvard Chan School and professor of African and African-American studies in Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

In a recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Williams, along with colleague Ronald Wyatt, cited a 2003 Institute of Medicine report that labeled widespread “implicit bias” for differences in the care that African-Americans and other minorities receive. They said that substandard care leads to an estimated 260 premature African-American deaths each day.

“Insurance is not just supposed to get you access to care, it’s supposed to keep you from getting evicted from your apartment because you paid your hospital bill instead of your rent.” Katherine Baicker

“African-American individuals and those in other minority groups receive fewer procedures and poorer-quality medical care than white individuals,” Williams and Wyatt wrote. “These differences existed even after statistical adjustment for variations in health insurance, stage and severity of disease, income or education, comorbid disease, and the type of health care facility.”

The result of that disparity and others fuels another one: shorter life spans for African-Americans, according to Thomas McGuire, professor of health economics in Harvard Medical School’s (HMS) Department of Health Care Policy.

“In terms of health, there’s approximately a five-year penalty for being African-American compared to being a white male,” McGuire said.

While poverty, race, and ethnicity are key divides between wellness and ill health, another factor — often ignored — is geography, according to Katherine Baicker, C. Boyden Gray Professor of Health Economics at the Harvard Chan School and acting chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management.

Health disparities exist regionally across America — Southern states, for example, have poorer care, according to a 2014 government report. There also are smaller pockets of poverty, such as depressed urban areas.

“I think an important factor that is sometimes overlooked is there are a lot of observed disparities in care … based on income, race, or ethnicity, that are attributable to the quality of care in some parts of the country lagging behind other parts of the country,” Baicker said. “So it’s as much about where you live as what your characteristics are.”

Necessary, but not sufficient

Easily the most significant recent step to lessen health disparities came when Congress passed the ACA in 2010. The law requires people above a certain income to have health insurance, and it expands the Medicaid program to cover those who can’t afford it. A 2012 Supreme Court ruling created a significant pothole on the road to universal coverage, however, allowing states to opt out of the Medicaid expansion. That left 4 million poor Americans in 20 states ineligible and on their own.

“Under the ACA, we created a new structure where just about every American citizen and legal resident has access to some kind of affordable health insurance coverage, except for poor adults in states that have not accepted Medicaid expansion under the ACA,” McDonough said.

Despite that large pool of uncovered people, McDonough said, the ACA has clearly reduced health inequalities in much of the nation, particularly for minority and ethnic groups.

“The ACA has succeeded in taking a major step forward in reducing inequalities as pertains to access in health insurance coverage,” McDonough said. “It has not solved it, but it’s a major step forward.”

The act also has reduced disparities in medical care and in health status, according to McDonough and McGuire. By requiring insurance companies to cover people regardless of pre-existing conditions, it has worked to level the financial gap between the sick and the well.

Though researchers will require time to prove whether illness and chronic disease have dropped as a result, early studies — including one in 2012 by Benjamin Sommers and another last September led by Joshua Salomon, both at the Harvard Chan School — indicate that health insurance coverage can prevent tens of thousands of premature deaths and prompt more than 650,000 people to control chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

Substandard care leads to 260 premature African-American deaths daily.

“What’s fairly indisputable is that by expanding coverage to so many millions of otherwise uninsured Americans, we’re saving lives,” McDonough said.

McDonough said that Oregon presented researchers, led by the Chan School’s Baicker and Amy Finkelstein at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with a natural experiment when it used a lottery to expand its Medicaid program in 2008. The lottery was a randomized control designed to show that people newly covered by Medicaid took advantage of more preventive care, prescription drugs, and doctors’ office visits to stay healthy, as well as more hospital stays and emergency department visits to treat worsening conditions. Their self-reported access to care and quality of care both rose. In addition, they reported better health and lower rates of depression.

The study did not show improvement in several measures of health involving chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes, Baicker said. But there was progress in improving patients’ financial stability. People covered by Medicaid had far fewer bills sent to collectors, and catastrophic out-of-pocket medical expenses were virtually eliminated.

“Having insurance improved access to care. It also provided financial protection, which is a component of insurance that people don’t talk about but which is really important,” Baicker said. “Insurance is not just supposed to get you access to care; it’s supposed to keep you from getting evicted from your apartment because you paid your hospital bill instead of your rent.”

While the ACA was designed to provide that stability nationally, it isn’t perfect, Jha said, and the endless partisan debate surrounding it in Washington, D.C., and in some states has blocked needed fixes, according to analysts. One provision of the measure that Jha finds troubling was supposed to improve patient care by penalizing hospitals with poor patient outcomes. But that provision, he said, backfires where large, urban, safety-net hospitals are involved. Since they serve a disproportionate number of poor people with chronic ailments, they often have worse outcomes that are unrelated to care.

“I do worry that it will worsen disparities,” Jha said. “There’s good empirical data; the penalties are disproportionately targeting safety-net” hospitals.

A multipronged approach

While the ACA was a giant step in bridging America’s health divide, analysts say that merely providing health insurance isn’t enough. Insurance helps equalize access to care, but disparities remain in the quality of that care. However, there are levers to tackle that problem too, according to Amitabh Chandra, Malcolm Wiener Professor of Social Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS).

Identifying poor-quality facilities provides an opportunity for rapid improvement by bringing best practices to bear, Chandra said. Baicker agreed, saying such targeted interventions can prove both effective and inexpensive.

“Part of it is about resources,” Baicker said. “There’s also fairly strong evidence that quality could be improved without costing a lot of money in some places, where best practices are not being implemented. Sometimes, it’s not clear what the right thing to do is. But sometimes it is, and our system does not generate high-quality care and best practices nearly as consistently as we would like it to.”

Government-led, policy-driven shifts on health care have led to dramatic improvements in the past and could again, Chandra said. When U.S. hospitals were desegregated in the 1960s, there was “overnight” improvement in African-American infant mortality. Similarly, Chandra said, new technology could help disadvantaged populations by improving their care condition by condition. The discovery of surfactants, for example, helped all premature babies breathe better, but benefitted African-American babies in particular because they were more often premature.

Similarly, McGuire said, attitudinal health reforms, such as against stereotypes and race-related disparities, could create a wide ripple effect. “Activation” training, during which patients from disadvantaged populations are encouraged to question physicians and immerse themselves in their own care, could improve their interactions in everyday life as well.

“The next time they interact with someone outside the health care system, this is going to help them there, too,” McGuire said.

Targeting the factors influencing health

While policy shifts can be powerful tools against health inequities, Subramanian said that such initiatives should be aimed not at outcomes, but earlier in the chain at the factors influencing health. “From a health perspective, the most important thing to think about would be inequalities in opportunities that are health-promoting, rather than inequalities in health outcomes per se,” Subramanian said.

Another helpful policy change would relax America’s relatively stingy family-leave and sick-time policies, Kawachi said.

“If you’re having a heart attack, there are very standardized protocols. If you’re African-American, you’re less likely to get those, even with the same health insurance, even with the same presentation.” Ashish Jha

Among its less-publicized features, the ACA promotes “accountable care organizations,” whose financial rewards are linked to better patient outcomes rather than to just providing treatment, thereby linking financial success to patient health.

“Many health care providers are acutely aware of the inadequacy of the office visit alone to improve population health,” Baicker said. “They sometimes lack flexibility [to try new things and] they sometimes lack resources. To the extent that they can be given flexibility, coupled with responsibility [for population health], that’s an avenue toward better disease management and health promotion.”

But eliminating health disparities outright remains problematic because some causes lie outside the care system. Poor education often leads to low-wage jobs, leading to substandard housing and poor diets and smoking, further leading to diabetes and asthma. So any overarching solution would require massive breadth.

“Health insurance affects health care. Health care affects health. But there are other things that affect health,” Baicker said, including social determinants, quality food, proper exercise, and wise behavior. “Being poor is really hard on your health in and of itself. Then having limited access to health care is another big hit. But there are lots of things about poverty that are harmful to health that really have nothing to do with health care per se.”

Addressing those social and behavioral factors would require government officials and community leaders to think innovatively and cooperatively about the everyday realities that affect health, even down to the designs of neighborhoods and transportation systems. There would have to be more flexibility for health care spending to help, for example, an asthmatic child whose medication might be covered but whose need for an air conditioner is not. Physicians would need to be aware of nonmedical pressures that patients face after leaving their offices that might, for instance, leave them without transportation to follow-up appointments or to pharmacies for medicine. Partner organizations would need to help meet routine needs by such things as grocery shopping and cooking for postoperative patients who are well enough to go home, but can’t yet push carts down store aisles.

“It’s not just about what we do in the hospital, what we do in the doctor’s office. It’s about all the things that happen outside of it,” Jha said. “We’ve come to realize that whole processes are important … not just prescribing right.”

Nancy Oriol, HMS dean of students, has been part of a 24-year experiment to hurdle some of those barriers, seeing patients as whole people and meeting them literally where they live.

As director of obstetric anesthesia for Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in the 1980s, Oriol became concerned about infant mortality rates in the poor neighborhoods near Boston’s Longwood section, where HMS and several of its most prominent affiliate hospitals are located.

She and Cheryl Dorsey, then a third-year medical student, began to develop a mobile clinic, the Family Van, that provides basic health education, screenings, and referrals to residents of poor neighborhoods. Though Oriol no longer works on van issues day-to-day, she is probing how the nation’s estimated 2,000 mobile clinics can fill a gap in America’s health care network.

Early on, she hoped that the Family Van would become obsolete as the health care system improved. But now Oriol sees the mobile clinics as an emerging sector, a permanent player with their own mission.

“I actually have come to believe that mobile clinics are not a bridge over a gap, but a different form of health care,” Oriol said. “It is the health care that brings you health in the same place that you live your life.”

60 million with little primary care

In another example of fresh thinking, at HMS’s five-year-old Center for Primary Care, co-director Andrew Ellner, an assistant professor of medicine, is tackling a root cause of health disparities: poor primary care.

According to a 2009 report by the National Association of Community Health Centers, a whopping 60 million Americans lack adequate access to primary care. Ellner said that even people who do have access are often poorly served by what they get.

“I think the lack of primary care certainly is part of the problem, but it is also a reflection of the problem,” Ellner said. “There’s less primary care because there’s less financing available to offer care to disadvantaged patient populations.”

Good primary care requires correct responses to illnesses, injuries, and other conditions, coupled with strong preventive medicine, including administering vaccines and routine screenings, while encouraging healthy diet and exercise. Another critical factor, Ellner said, is properly coordinating care with other providers, including specialists, therapists, and technicians.

“That’s especially important in the U.S. because the health care system is fragmented, and people can get lost. We have to make sure they don’t fall through the cracks,” he said. “It’s definitely part of the solution. Primary care is really on the front lines of health care. It’s a critical factor in making the health system work — not just in providing care, but also in making it accessible to people.”

Internationally, the United States has a reputation as a country with poor primary care. That reality is a significant factor in high health care costs, even though, Ellner said, there are pockets of excellence that provide primary care as good as anywhere in the world. The challenge, he said, is to scale up those examples nationally and make them the rule rather than the exception.

A team approach to care

In another shift, the HMS center has partnered with seven Harvard-affiliated health systems to install a team-based approach to care. The teams, which are being tested in 28 Boston-area practices serving 300,000 patients, include physicians, nurses, social workers, community health workers, and pharmacy technicians.

“Physicians are important, but a lot of primary-care functions should be filled by non-physicians,” Ellner said. “The real fix [to U.S. primary care] will be, over time, to change the ratio of primary care and specialist physicians … [and] to fundamentally change the organization of primary care into a team approach that allows doctors to focus on the parts of health care for which they are uniquely trained: complex diagnosis and management.”

Possible solutions to health care inequality

  • Earlier diagnoses of ailments
  • Universal health insurance
  • Better patient education
  • More preventive care
  • Fewer penalties on safety-net hospitals
  • Monitoring, upgrading struggling facilities
  • Wider access to technology
  • Stronger primary care
  • Broader family-, sick-leave policies
  • Social systems supporting health
  • Team approaches to care

Larger social factors play a role in health. Kawachi said studies have shown that preschool programs deliver $1.17 of benefits for each $1 invested. Since poverty is a root cause of health disparities, an increase in the federal minimum wage — which at $7.25 an hour leaves a family of four well below the federal poverty line ― would prove a health boon as well, he said.

The ACA recognizes the need to address the exterior causes of health disparities, McDonough said, but those aspects of the law haven’t been taken seriously. For instance, political opponents have attacked the $15 million Prevention and Public Health Trust Fund that provides grants to address poor housing, air quality, and lack of exercise, calling the spending wasteful. Legislators have cut a third of its funds.

“It has been under constant, ruthless assault by opponents of the law as fluff, as paying for jungle gym sets,” McDonough said. “Public health and public health programs have always taken a beating in difficult economic times. There was hope that the ACA represented the dawn of a new day and we would break out of that cycle. That hasn’t happened.”

Despite the endless political tug-of-war over the ACA , Baicker believes that there will be more opportunities soon to experiment with health care reforms, if only to slow cost increases, which have picked up speed.

“There are a lot of positive developments, but I don’t think anybody would argue that we solved this problem,” Baicker said. “There are serious financial problems with the health care system that necessitate bigger change than we’ve seen so far.”

Illustration by Kathleen M.G. Howlett.

Next Tuesday: Inequality in law

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Wealthy Nickel

Health is More Important Than Wealth – 3 Surprising Reasons Why

health is more important than wealth feature e1569262098538 - Health is More Important Than Wealth - 3 Surprising Reasons Why

“Health is more important than wealth.” – English Proverb

There are all kinds of articles written in the personal finance space about the importance of money, building wealth, and financial security. And that is not a bad thing.

But I rarely see anything written  with the intent of putting money in its proper place in the balance of our lives. There are many things more important than money, and the old proverb that health is more important than wealth is certainly true.

At some level, I think we know this, but unfortunately it can take a tragedy to make us really believe that it’s true and change how we live.

I’m not an old man yet by any means (unless you ask my kids). But I have experienced enough of life to really start to understand that chasing wealth (or just worrying a lot about money) at the expense of your health is not worth the cost.

When you are young, you can feel invincible – working 80+ hours a week to climb the corporate ladder, or build your own business, living off of caffeine and adrenaline. But sooner or later that lifestyle will catch up with you, and hopefully you are tuned in enough to catch the early warning signs.

Table of Contents

What Is Health?

What is health? Seems like a silly question, but it is almost philosophical if you stop and think about it.

We usually think of health in a physical sense. To be healthy is to be strong and free of illness or disease. That is certainly part of it, but there are many more aspects to health.

Psychologists point to many different aspects of health , but some of the main ones are:

Physical Health

As discussed above, physical health refers to the state of the body. Someone who is physically healthy takes care of themselves through exercise, proper nutrition, and sleep. They are able-bodied and free of illness and disease.

Mental Health

Mental health is more than just a lack of mental disorder. It includes the ability to concentrate, think, and reason.

The World Health Organization defines it like this:

“a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”

Emotional Health

To be emotionally healthy does not mean you are always happy, but that you are aware of your emotions, whether positive or negative. You are and able to deal with and manage your emotions, and cope with everyday situations and stress.

Social Health

Social health refers to your ability to form meaningful relationships, and involves your interactions with other people one-on-one or in a group. We all have a need for social interaction (even an introvert like me).

Spiritual Health

While spiritual health includes your religious beliefs, it is more than that. To be spiritually healthy also includes having a sense of purpose, hope, and value to the world.

Holistic Health – More Than Just Diet and Exercise

As you can see from the 5 different aspects of health above, it is about much more than just physical health. Neglecting any of these 5 aspects of health can be detrimental to your overall well-being, and they often work together. For example, ignoring your mental or emotional health, perhaps by living in a constant state of stress, will eventually impact your physical health as well.

health is more important than wealth

Why Health Is More Important Than Wealth

What is your most important asset – your most prized possession? Is it your house? Or your 401(k)? Your liquid net worth in an emergency fund? Maybe even your time?

If you really think about it, your most important asset is YOU – and more specifically your health.

To put it another way, your health is the foundation from which you can build any other aspect of your life, including wealth. And all that you accumulate means nothing when your health fails and you can’t enjoy what you’ve built.

I may talk about this more in the future, but I’ve had my own personal battles with ongoing health issues, and I would gladly trade my 401(k) balance to be 100% healthy. Here are a few reasons why.

1. Without Health, You Can’t Build Wealth

Somewhat ironically, wealthy people seem to understand this best. If you look at the habits of successful people , many of them revolve around diet, exercise, meditation, and taking time out for friends and family. They understand that they cannot reach the peak of productivity in their money-making ventures without taking care of their health.

Unless you are starting out with a trust fund, it takes a lot of hard work to build wealth. If you are spending a lot of time and energy managing a chronic illness, or even the effects of stress on your body and mind, you are not able to be fully committed to achieving other goals in life.

In my own experiences, I know I am limited in what I can achieve because of chronic health issues. I can’t be the person who stays up until midnight and wakes up at 5am every day. I need more sleep than most. I’ve learned to manage, and prioritize what I focus my time on. In some ways, it’s allowed me to strip away a lot of the non-essential activities and avoid “shiny object syndrome” because I know my limitations.

And honestly, I think if I never had any health struggles, I would have more easily fallen into the trap of chasing wealth and neglecting my health. So in some ways, it’s a blessing to learn this lesson earlier in life than most. Which leads me to my next point…

2. Wealth Cannot Ultimately Make You Happy

Study after study has shown that having a lot of money does not necessarily make you happy. A recent report showed that an income of $60,000 to $75,000 per year is ideal for emotional well-being.

The FIRE (financial independence / retire early) community is criticized for a lot of things, but one thing I think they get right overall is trying to define the concept of “enough”. While society is constantly trying to keep up with the proverbial Joneses, learning to be content with what you have can lead to more happiness than earning more money.

And if you’re participating in the consumeristic rat race, there’s always a new bar to measure up to. Unless you’re a Warren Buffett or Bill Gates, there is always another class of people just out of reach that can afford a lifestyle that you cannot – whether you make $30,000 a year or $1,000,000 a year.

Focusing on all the different aspects of health (physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual) has been shown to be much more beneficial to your happiness over the long run than a number in your bank account.

3. Money Can’t Buy Health

While being in good health gives you the time, energy, and drive to make extra money , with few exceptions it doesn’t work the other way around. You can’t neglect your health over a 40 year career and then expect to get it back by throwing money at it.

But strangely enough, that is what we (at least in Western society) seem to try to do. Instead of turning to holistic health practices such as diet, exercise, meditation, or just a night out with friends, in the U.S. there’s a prescription drug for anything that ails you.

According to recent research from Harvard , the U.S. spends $9,400 per capita on healthcare, compared to $5,400 in other high-income countries. That is a large percentage of the average American budget . Despite the increased spending, our health is certainly no better, and in most cases worse. Life expectancy in the U.S. is 3 years shorter than other high-income countries, and we have much higher rates of preventative diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

In fact, the unrelenting pursuit of wealth, or just trying to keep up with our peers, is a constant source of stress and busyness in our lives. For all the promises that are made to us about how perfect life will be once we finally attain that next level of financial security, we are killing ourselves to get there. And it’s often only if and when we do reach the peak that we desperately realize we would gladly trade our wealth for the holistic health we’d been ignoring for so long.

health is better than wealth

How to Prioritize Your Health

The good news is it’s never too late to come to the realization that health is more important than wealth.

And in case it wasn’t clear above, being a healthy person is about more than just physical health. For my own health challenges, I have been diligent in pursuing all kinds of treatments, whether medical, nutrition, holistic medicine, etc.

While it has definitely helped me manage and I’m better off than I would be without it, I recognize that health – especially physical health – is not always in your control. By focusing on other aspects of health, you can find still find happiness and joy in life, even without perfect physical health. (But don’t see that as letting you off the hook to work hard toward maintaining your physical health to the best of your ability!)

Here are a few actionable tips to help you prioritize your health:

  • Incorporate exercise into your daily routine – You don’t have to spend 2 hours at the gym every day. Just changing your routine to include an active lifestyle (walking more instead of driving, or mowing your yard instead of hiring it out) can help.
  • Spend more time eating and preparing food – In the busyness of life, the prevalence of fast food and sugar-laden snacks has risen to all-time highs. Slow down, and carve out time to prepare and eat healthy food. You can still eat healthy while saving money on groceries .
  • Schedule dates with family and friends – That means no work, and no cell phone. Forming meaningful connections with people is a huge part of your mental and emotional health.
  • Make time for reading – Instead of turning on the TV at night, pick up a book. Whether just for fun or personal development, learning new things is a part of your journey toward holistic health.
  • Nurture your spirituality – This may look different for everyone. I am a Christian, and those beliefs inform the very core of what I believe about myself, the world, and even how I spend my money . It provides a sense of hope, community, and a purpose greater than myself. Even for those that would say they are not religious, having meaning and purpose has been proven to contribute to your overall sense of well-being.

Health Is More Important Than Wealth – In Summary

Modern society has conditioned us to chase wealth – whether that be in the form of money, possessions, or status. In the process, most of us neglect the most important asset we have – our health.

More than just being physically fit, health incorporates almost every aspect of our lives – mental, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual. Each plays a role in our overall sense of well-being, happiness, and purpose in life.

While money is also an important part of life, and necessary to meet many of our daily needs, money is not the most important thing. Too much focus on it can be detrimental to our health. And as the saying goes, nobody on their deathbed every wished they had worked more hours or accumulated more money. NOW is the time to find a balance in your life and spend time on what really matters to you.

2d5fa2a5600afa5e88d36455f7c23acf?s=150&d=mp&r=g - Health is More Important Than Wealth - 3 Surprising Reasons Why

Andrew Herrig is a finance expert and money nerd and the founder of Wealthy Nickel, where he writes about personal finance, side hustles, and entrepreneurship. As an avid real estate investor and owner of multiple businesses, he has a passion for helping others build wealth and shares his own family’s journey on his blog.

Andrew holds a Masters of Science in Economics from the University of Texas at Dallas and a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University. He has worked as a financial analyst and accountant in many aspects of the financial world.

Andrew’s expert financial advice has been featured on CNBC, Entrepreneur, Fox News, GOBankingRates, MSN, and more.

  • Andrew Herrig https://wealthynickel.com/author/andrewherrig/ Debt Free Story - How Ashley Paid Off $45K in 18 Months
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1 thought on “Health is More Important Than Wealth – 3 Surprising Reasons Why”

Seems obvious but sometimes we learn the hard way. On the way to FIRE, even on the day to day stuff I take for granted that I have the energy and free-from-pain to pursue and sustain that workload to do whatever it is that I wanted.

It took me some time to realize this and it is a daily reminder not to forget our priorities.

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Health Is Wealth: What It Means and Why It’s True

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why health is better than wealth essay

If you had to name a valuable asset, what’s the first thing that would come to mind?

For most people, it would be something tangible – like gold, Apple stock , paintings by European masters, or real estate in Central Park West.

But what about education, experience, loyalty, or happiness? While these types of intangible assets won’t appear on a company balance sheet, there’s no denying their value. You can’t sell them. But when it comes to landing well-paid jobs , receiving promotions, and being willing and able to work hard, they’re priceless.

That’s where the adage “health is wealth” enters the picture. A paraphrase of the Roman poet Virgil’s famous comment that “the greatest wealth is health,” the idea is that our physical and mental well-being are arguably the most valuable assets of all.

Keep reading to learn more about this notion and why pursuing health above wealth makes so much (financial) sense.

What Does “Health Is Wealth” Mean?

At its core, “health is wealth” means that your physical and mental well-being is far more important than wealth in the realm of life satisfaction.

It’s saying, “Yes, money is great. It can solve many problems and lead to a fantastic quality of life. But in the absence of good health, it means very little.”

In other words, don’t pursue wealth to the detriment of well-being! After all, you can’t enjoy the financial fruits of your labor if you’re in constant pain, unable to move, struggling to breathe, going to the hospital every few months, or worrying about your health…or dead. Only if you’re well can you take full advantage of your wealth . What’s more, staying healthy is also crucial to reaching your full financial potential. 

The Financial Importance of Physical and Mental Health

“Health is wealth” reminds us that these two vital components of a happy life are interconnected. Indeed, numerous studies have shown that higher socioeconomic status usually leads to improved health prospects. But the opposite is also true. If your health suffers, then so do your finances. Here’s how:

Being Sick Is Expensive

It doesn’t matter whether you’re suffering from a broken leg or a bad bout of depression. Being sick has costs attached.

For example, you might not be able to work, and you only have so many paid sick days to take (unless you’re self-employed , in which case you might not have any). You may even have to quit your job . Either way, your income suffers, which can lead to a host of additional money problems. You might be unable to save, for instance, and/or forced to take on high-interest debt to cover your outgoings.

Mental illness has close links with financial difficulties, as well. You may have no energy or feel too anxious to work. Or perhaps you enter a manic episode and start making unwise purchases. Whatever the case, debt can follow. Indeed, National Debtline reports that 50% of adults with debt also have mental health problems.

Oh, and what if you die from a preventable illness? All those years of stress and hard work to ascend the corporate ladder, earn a high salary and squirrel away a sizable retirement nest egg could be for nothing.

Being Healthy Is Lucrative

Put yourself in an employer’s shoes. At a job interview, one candidate is smiling, full of energy, and has a CV full of relevant experience. A second candidate seems pale, lethargic, and weary. And the third didn’t come because they had the flu.

You’d hire #1, right? It’d be the same if you were choosing someone to get a raise or promotion. And that’s just one example of how being fit and healthy can benefit someone financially. You need energy to work hard, be proactive, contribute to a team, and show up how you need to – qualities often rewarded with higher pay.

And let’s not forget that being healthy almost always means you live longer. As a result, you can (among other things):

  • Earn a salary for longer before retiring
  • Reap the benefits of employment for longer
  • Have more opportunities to climb the career ladder
  • Have longer for the value of your investments to compound

Medical Care Isn’t Cheap

Having health problems often means you’ll need medical intervention. And we all know how expensive that can be! Thankfully, paying for good insurance minimizes the damage. Yet it won’t cover everything 100% of the time.

Indeed, there are countless examples of people forced to pay out of pocket for essential medical care – despite having insurance. And according to the Guardian , 530,000 bankruptcies get filed each year due to debt accrued from a medical illness. Furthermore, the cost of health insurance hinges on your health. Sick people pay higher premiums; healthy people pay less.

Health Equals Happiness Equals Wealth

The phrase “money can’t buy happiness” isn’t true. The widely-cited 2010 Princeton study demonstrated this when they found a) low incomes worsen emotional pain and b) emotional well-being increases as your annual income rises to $75,000 (at which point happiness stops going up as you earn more).

So if you want to be happy, pursuing wealth makes sense to a certain extent. Unfortunately, it’s hard to be happy when you’re unwell! Thus, chasing wealth at the expense of well-being can backfire – especially when you realize happiness also tends to make people richer.

It’s true. From taking fewer sick days to being more productive at work, happy individuals tend to earn more than their unhappy peers. The result? It pays (literally) to make health a priority.

A retired couple trots happily on the beach.

Pursue Health and Wealth to Be Truly Happy

“Health is wealth” is a proverb and truism that most of us could benefit from being reminded of every now and again.

After all, it’s too easy to fall into the trap of pursuing money at all costs – forgetting that, without our physical and mental health, life really isn’t that pleasant! Furthermore, by prioritizing our health, we stand to accrue even more money in the long run (and to actually be able to enjoy it without pain, discomfort, or a lack of energy getting in the way).

Danny Newman is a nationally syndicated freelance writer with a focus on travel. MSN feed and Associated Press bylines. Danny is a digital nomad from the UK who’s been traveling full-time since 2018.  Learn More About Danny .

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  1. Health Is Wealth Essay for Students and Children

    500+ Words Health Is Wealth Essay. Growing up you might have heard the term 'Health is Wealth', but its essential meaning is still not clear to most people. Generally, people confuse good health with being free of any kind of illness. While it may be part of the case, it is not entirely what good health is all about.

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    Essay on Health is Wealth in 300 Words. Health is riches, after all. This proverb, which emphasises the critical necessity of health in one's life, is full of timeless wisdom. It is simple to ignore the priceless gem that good health represents in a world that is focused on material prosperity and material interests.

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    Well, all these questions are quite relatable, so here is something that will explain the relationship between money and health. As for me, I believe that health is actually more important than wealth. Everything which has value cannot be measured in terms of money, and health is an example of it. A healthy person can only make a lot of wealth.

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    The age-old adage "health is wealth" encapsulates a profound truth that transcends time and culture. In this essay, we delve into the profound connection between health and prosperity, exploring how good health serves as the foundation for a fulfilling and prosperous life.

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    500+ Words Essay on Health is Wealth. The proverb 'Health is Wealth' is highly popular, indicating the significance of "Health" to us. However, the proverb's true meaning is lost now, as many believe that just being free of any illness makes for a healthy life. But, that's not all that good health is all about.

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    Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. This comprehensive definition underlines the complex nature of health and its profound impact on our lives. The axiom "Health is Wealth" encapsulates this idea, emphasizing the intrinsic value of health over material wealth.

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    Building wealth and income among people who have long lacked opportunity is essential—and possible—for improving health equity. Substantial evidence links greater wealth with better health. Longitudinal studies have documented strong, pervasive links between income and multiple health indicators across the life span.

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  17. Health is More Important Than Wealth

    Here are a few reasons why. 1. Without Health, You Can't Build Wealth. Somewhat ironically, wealthy people seem to understand this best. If you look at the habits of successful people, many of them revolve around diet, exercise, meditation, and taking time out for friends and family.

  18. Health and Wealth: The Importance for Lifestyle Medicine

    Hospitalization rates followed the same pattern: respondents who rated their health as poor had 675 hospitalizations per 1000 beneficiaries per year compared with 135 per 1000 for those rating their health as excellent. 34. Health and wealth are both important resources for living a happy and successful life.

  19. Health Is More Important Than Wealth

    Health is always more important than wealth because without good health, it is difficult to enjoy the wealth one has. Good health is essential for leading a happy and fulfilling life, and without it, it is difficult to achieve any of life's goals. Additionally, wealth cannot buy good health, so it is important to prioritize health over wealth.

  20. Health Is Wealth: What It Means and Why It's True

    At its core, "health is wealth" means that your physical and mental well-being is far more important than wealth in the realm of life satisfaction. It's saying, "Yes, money is great. It can solve many problems and lead to a fantastic quality of life. But in the absence of good health, it means very little.". In other words, don't ...

  21. Income inequality: When wealth determines health ...

    While higher incomes and wealth are linked to better health within the U.S., their protective nature does not perform as well in a global context. Woolf co-authored a 2013 report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine that compared Americans' health to counterparts in 16 other high-income nations, finding that ...

  22. PDF The relationship between wealth and health

    connected to each other, and that improving health can lead to improve of wealth. The first part discusses the effect of health on wealth and vice versa. It shows that better wealth is connected to better health and health increase lead to the wealth increase. Then there is a theoretical model by Grossman (1972) and which was modified by Jacobson

  23. Debate: Wealth is more important than health

    Wealth is a condition in which a person is richly endowed both materially and financially. To be wealthy means not just being rich but having great property as well. The property could include estates, cars, landed property, etc. Health is a good physical and mental condition of a person. That is to say that the person that is healthy enjoys ...

  24. What is health equity? How the idea grew

    "Health equity is about fixing health gaps that are fixable," he said. "And often, health inequity reflects an injustice, in that we have not paid enough attention to what can be fixed." Putting it in more concrete terms, Galea said there could be many reasons why one person has higher cholesterol levels than another.