Good Health: The greatest wealth (2024)

"Health is Wealth" is one of the most popular sayings. We have heard of the proverb almost every day. But how seriously have we considered health as the greatest gift of life? We, humans, tend to realise the worth of something only after we lose it.

We all know, health is the biggest wealth for all. As American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in 1860 that "The first wealth is health,” good health is the most important foundation for any individual to progress. Without health, any wealth, irrespective of how much or what materialistic wealth one possess, is worthless. After all, what good is that wealth if one cannot enjoy it!

We agree that materialistic wealth does give comfort and happiness but it cannot bring complete happiness. Only good health can. Without good health, one cannot feel happy and complete. To be happy and enjoy life, one needs to be healthy. Money lost can be earned again but it is not so in the case of health. A good health once lost cannot be recovered easily unlike other materialistic wealth. In short, bad health can impact one's wealth and the ability or the chances to live a wealthy life.

For instance, a healthy person can save money on medical expenses while a sick person spends his hard-earned money on medical expenditures rather than enjoying his fruit of labour. Wealth is of no significance if a person is sickly. Just imagine, one has all the wealth to afford anything and everything he/she desires but his/her health doesn't allow it. What a tragedy it would be!

Another reason why good health is important is, a healthy person is more productive than an unhealthy person. He has a higher chance of earning more and spending on things he enjoys. But an unhealthy person lacks the strength and the confidence to be as productive as a healthy person thereby affecting his work which in turn affects his sources of income. An unhealthy person is also often doubted of sincerity and loyalty towards his commitments. Only when a person is healthy does he have the strength to work hard and achieve whatever he wants. But if a person is weak and frail, it is difficult for him to work hard and fulfill his commitments or realise his dreams.

Maintaining good health can be challenging, especially when you have a busy schedule but one must remember that it is important to make a healthy lifestyle a priority.

Several factors such as drinking water regularly, eating healthy foods, exercising, sleeping on time, among others, are needed to maintain good health. To ensure a healthy lifestyle, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends eating lots of fruits and vegetables, reducing fat, sugar and salt intake and exercising. But most importantly, one must remember exercise is free and active living benefits health at all ages.

“Health is like money, we never have a true idea of its value until we lose it.”