How has the definition of health changed since first medical doctors?

From Simplistic to Holistic

* Ancient Greece (Hippocrates): Health as the ideal balance of four humors (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile) in the body. Disease as a result of imbalance. Hippocrates placed great importance on the environment, diet, and lifestyle as factors influencing health.

* Medieval Europe: Health as the absence of disease. The focus shifted toward treating symptoms rather than understanding underlying causes.

* 18th-19th Centuries: Health seen primarily in terms of physical well-being. The emphasis was on curing illnesses through scientific advancements in medicine and technology.

* Early 20th Century: The biomedical model emerged, focusing on the biological causes of disease and cure-based treatments.

* Mid-20th Century: The World Health Organization (WHO) proposed a broader definition of health as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

* 21st Century and Beyond: An even more comprehensive understanding of health has developed, emphasizing the importance of social, environmental, psychological, and spiritual factors. Health promotion, wellness, and preventive measures gain prominence.

Health is now understood as a complex interplay of physical, mental, emotional, social, and environmental factors, and the absence of disease is just one aspect of it.