Spiritual_Wellness_Holistic_Health_and_the_Practic

Human Ecology and Health Education 229
An understanding of the flow of energy and the cycling of essential materials in
ecosystems is a prerequisite to our growing awareness of the potential destruction — by
man ’ s own shortsighted activities — of the ecosystems and food webs upon which the
survival and health of mankind finally depend. A dramatic example is the concentration
of toxic substances such as DDT and methyl - mercury in food webs involving
man. We are finally coming to see that the population explosion, plundering of natural
resources — some of them nonrenewable — and environmental pollution have placed
our ecosystems and man himself in jeopardy (Cloud et al., 1969). It is a sign of the
times when housewives and school children discuss eutrophication.
ECOLOGICAL MODELS
Human ecology is based on a unitive view of man, as a self - regulating, self - actualizing
organism. It is concerned with the whole man, as an open - system, in his reciprocal
dynamic transactions with his total environment — physical, biotic, and sociocultural.
Human ecology is concerned with the unique individual as well as with populations
and “ statistical man, ” with his personality as well as his tissues and organs, and with
his spiritual outlook on life and need for personal fulfillment, as well as with his biologic
needs for survival.
Public health is one of the major sectors of human ecology (Colloquium on
Man ’ s Health and His Environment, 1970). Human ecology is not a new approach to
the study of health, disease, aging and death. However, the increased interest in and
growing emphasis on human ecology and epidemiology in relation, to public health
and medical theory and practice is timely and exceedingly important. The emerging
epidemiologic, multiple - causation approach, within the broad framework of human
ecology; is certainly a step in the right direction. The results so far indicate that the
“ causal webs ” of human health, disease, aging, longevity, and death are all interlinked
dynamic processes in the organism - personality, and are far more complex than
appears on the surface (Hoyman, 1962). A man ’ s level of health and disease, his rate
of aging, and his length of life are all dynamic ecological resultants — as well as major
operative factors. Figure 21.1 is a crude model of the ecology of health and disease
(Hoyman, 1965).
Ecology of Health
Fortunately, we do not have to start from scratch in developing an ecological health
model. Health educators have long stressed the need to view health as a dynamic process,
involving the whole person and his unique life style, in his total environment. We
have described and defined health in terms of the actualization and fulfillment of man ’s
desirable adaptive and creative potentialities. For instance: Health is personal fitness
for survival and self - renewal, creative psychosocial adjustment, and self - fulfi llment .
Health is a multidimensional unity. It has dimensions such as physical fitness,
mental health, psychosocial well - being, and ethical and spiritual outlook (Hoyman, 1956).
Health is determined by the reciprocal, ecological interaction of genetic, environmental,