Health

• What does good health mean for you?
• Who is responsible for the health of the inhabitants of a country?
• What can we do to take care of our own health?
• Does taking care of your health mean you have to think about other things when you are living in Norway than when you lived in your home country?
• What are your expectations when you go to the doctor?
• In what situations do you think it is necessary to see a doctor?

Good health – more than just the absence of disease?

Some people will say that having good health means not being ill. Others say that good health means having a feeling of wellbeing and enjoying life. Both are correct definitions of good health. The first definition probably dominates in societies where serious illness and poverty are important facts of life. In other societies, where medication is available for most diseases and necessary medical help is available to everyone, many people feel that good health means more than just being physically and mentally healthy.

Who is responsible for our health?

People used to think that the health service was responsible for patients’ health. In recent years, it has become more common to think that we are responsible to a great extent for our health. How we choose to live our lives has an effect on our health. The health service is responsible for providing advice and guidance, but it is our responsibility to follow that advice. You can find information about preventing and treating illnesses on the internet, at the doctor’s or pharmacist’s.

In many countries, patients are used to the doctor being a figure of authority who decides the patient's treatment. Some patients may be used to never leaving the doctor’s without having been given medication. In Norway, doctors usually discuss different treatment and follow-up options with their patients.