Spiritual_Wellness_Holistic_Health_and_the_Practic

Human Ecology and Health Education 233
What is modern man ’ s longevity potential? The maximum human life span falls in
the 110 – 115 year range, as judged by the authenticated records of the longest - lived
people. However, the average potential life span is lower, of course, than the maximum,
and the potential life span of individuals varies so that some persons are potentially
longer or shorter lived than others. There is much science fiction, but little “ hard ”
evidence to support the claims that man will soon live from 150 to 1,000 years.
Our great world need today is to increase man ’ s health span , not his life span.
Who wants to survive as a human vegetable? An ounce of prevention is still worth a
pound of cure, and it costs far less. The real tragedy is to die without having really
lived, be it at 50 or 150.
Man ’ s average life expectancy at birth has increased markedly in the DCs during
the past one hundred years, and it is now about 70 years — due mainly to the gains in
infancy and childhood. But barring a major scientific breakthrough in death control,
we may expect much smaller gains in life expectancy in the DCs by, say, the
year 2000.
In our current concern over personal and environmental factors, we must not
overlook the great importance of heredity. The whole set of genes a person inherits
from his parents is called the “ genotype. ” Health, disease, aging, and longevity are
phenotypical phenomena, determined by the ecological interactions of the genotype
with the total environment. Nature and nurture work together in joint sovereignty.
From the standpoint of health, disease, senescence, and longevity, some individuals
have good and others poor hereditary endowment. Some gene mutations are lethal,
causing serious diseases or fetal deaths; others are sublethal, killing off or weakening
most of the carriers; and still others are subvital, impairing health in various ways
(Scheinfeld, 1965).
HEALTH EDUCATION IMPLICATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES
In health education “ health ” is the goal and “ education ” is the process. Oberteuffer
(1964) has spelled out incisively the vital, reciprocal ties between health and education.
Equally important, he has called for bold, imaginative planning and action in
developing modern health education in our schools and communities. So what are
some of the implications and opportunities of an ecological approach to health and
health education?
1. Integrated Community - School Programs
Students live in communities. We need to develop more integrated community - school
health education programs in the 1970s (Hoyman, 1966). Boys and girls need a more
consistent, pattern in the health education they learn at home, at school, and in the
community — especially now that we are faced with a wider generation gap. The ecological
complexity of personal, family, and community health problems necessitates a
community wide approach to study, planning, and action — involving all school age
and adult groups. Many public - health problems — such as environmental pollution —