Good Health and Well-being Goal

 

Our goal is good health and well-being.

Goal 3 aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, at all ages. Health and well-being are important at every stage of one’s life, starting from the beginning. This goal addresses all major health priorities: reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health; communicable and non-communicable diseases; universal health coverage; and access for all to safe, effective, quality and affordable medicines and vaccines.

How does well-being relate to sustainability?

The World Health Organization coined the most well-known modern definition of health, which states: “Health is a condition of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

Sustainable well-being is achieved when improving individual well-being is correlated with improving the well-being of other members of society and the natural environment.

Importance of good health and well-being:

1. Benefits You in Living a Longer Life

2. Improve Your Self-Confidence

3. Medical Costs Are Lower

4. Take Charge of Your Stress

5. More Vigor

6. Healthy people feel comfortable and happy.

7. Healthy people look attractive.

8. Healthy people handle chores with a positive attitude.

9. Good health is vital for children.

The World Health Organization defines good health as a state of the physical, mental, and social well-being of people. It is not restricted to the absence of disease or infirmity. The efficiency of our human bodies, mental state, and the quality of our interaction with others define our wellness. The selection of wellness facts and statistics across these areas below highlights the importance of a rounded approach to well-being and wellness. 

 

Physical Activity Statistics:

In 2018, GWI released Move to be Well: The Global Economy of Physical Activity. This report defined and measured six sub-sectors that comprise the vast economy of physical activity: fitness, sports & active recreation, mindful movement, equipment/supplies, apparel/footwear, and technology.

The physical activity economy reached $874 billion in 2019 and then fell to $738 billion in 2020 (due to the pandemic). GWI projects that this sector will recover and grow to $1.2 trillion in 2025. Asia-Pacific is the largest regional market for physical activity, at $247 billion in 2020.

Physical exercise facts:

As we age, regular exercise can help prevent various ailments, including cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, obesity, and cancer. Physical activity done right can strengthen our muscles, help us lose weight, prevent high cholesterol buildup, and improve our mood and overall well-being.

But statistics show that just one in four adults receive the recommended amount of physical activity needed to enjoy those benefits. In 2016, 28% of people got less than 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of rigorous physical activity.  And data shows that since 2001, there has been no improvement in global levels of physical activity.

 

Health professionals recommend physical exercise for people of all ages, including children. For younger people, it does not have to be as structured as the physical activity adults undertake and can come in the form of play. Walking, sports, cycling, and swimming are examples of physical activities both kids and adults can enjoy. Physical activities aid growth, keep the heart healthy and enhance cognitive functions in young children.

Children between 3-4 years of age should spend at least 180 minutes being physically active. At the same time, adolescents aged between 5-17 years should involve themselves in 60 minutes of exercise each day. Adults should strive to put in at least 150 minutes of vigorous exercise weekly.

Physical exercise can contribute to the prevention of non-communicable diseases and lower blood pressure. An acute lack of physical activity can result in poor health. Young people may experience unhealthy weight gain, poor fitness levels, sleep problems, and poor social behavior.

References

SDG goal 3: Good health and well-being (2021) UNICEF DATA. Available at: https://data.unicef.org/sdgs/goal-3-good-health-wellbeing/ (Accessed: January 30, 2023).

Goal 3: Good health and well-being (no date) LOOK! For a better place. Available at: https://lookforabetterplace.dk/goal-3-good-health-and-well-being (Accessed: January 31, 2023).

ISGLOBALorg (2019) SDG3: Health & Well-being, YouTube. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_jjX-i45hU&ab_channel=BarcelonaInstituteforGlobalHealth%28ISGlobal%29 (Accessed: January 31, 2023).

Admin (2022) Importance of good health and well-being in our life, Intellectual Gyani. Available at: https://intellectualgyani.com/importance-good-health-in-our-life/ (Accessed: January 30, 2023).

WELLNESS ECONOMY STATISTICS & FACTS (2023) Global Wellness Institute. Available at: https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/press-room/ (Accessed: January 30, 2023).

Trvst (2022) 28 Wellness Facts & Statistics for Healthy Living, TRVST. Available at: https://www.trvst.world/mind-body/wellness-facts-statistics/ (Accessed: January 30, 2023).