This week, my wife went to a bookstore, and, knowing my fascination with Ancient Greece she bought the book The Ancient Greeks by M.I. Finley (pictured above).
This book reminded me of one of the terms the Ancient Greeks used for health—euexia—one which roughly translates into physical vigor.
But the Ancient Greeks use of the word euexia is more complex than simple physical vigor. It more likely represented a confluence of the beauty, martial vigor, and competitive spirit of the male youth—something not unexpected in a society in which the line between war and diplomacy was always thin, and the success of conflict often rested with the martial skills, physical strength, and the sheer number of the hoplites. (For more background on this read Male Beauty Contests In Greece: The Euandria and Euexia.)
But how does either the modern or ancient concept of euexia apply to health and healthcare today?
Well, there was an article written on this topic in 1980 by physician and health advocate Harold Elrick, A New Definition of Health, in which he proposes that healthcare establish euexia as a new standard for “normal” health. In fact, in this article, he proposes that what’s wrong with the population’s health in the United States isn’t our healthcare system, it’s our concept of health:
The basic fault of our health care system is our current concept of health. We live in a”normal” world. Being normal is considered safe, desirable, and healthy. Normal health is defined as the absence of disease as determined by normal examinations and tests. All of our health resources and personnel are focused on a minority of our population who have detectable diseases. The large majority, who are normal, are of little interest to the health professions.
Harold Elrick
I disagree with aspects of this article. For example, there is no discussion about genetic and epigenetic contributions to health, not surprising in an article written 40 years ago. Also, I suspect his focus on the relationship between health and fitness is deeply entwined with his personal experience as a marathon runner—an activity in the 80s which I recall had its near-obsessive fitness subculture. And his contention that “the majority of motivated individuals within one year” can achieve a body fat of 5-10%? That is certainly ridiculous, and probably even dangerous!
However, I agree with his premise that we need to take a hard look at what our current healthcare system defines as normal health—a system in which the words “normality” and “health” are either avoided or left deliberately vague. I also agree that using a population’s average health as a reference point for an individual’s normal health is a flawed concept, especially if the overall health of the population is in a state of decline.
And finally, I am not necessarily opposed to considering a new term for health—such as euexia—which encompasses physical vigor. After all, we may live longer than the Ancient Greeks, but are we truly healthier?