Nanna Mik-Meyer
The aim of this essay is to critically reflect on the concept of health. ‘Health’ refers not only to the absence of biomedical diseases and bodily and mental dysfunctionalities; today, the concept is also synonymous with wellness, happiness, and a good life. However, this broad definition of what it means to be healthy nowadays produces a number of problems for citizens who struggle to meet the standards of this changed ideal of health. Consequently, unhealthy citizens, such as overweight individuals, possess not only a biomedically defined unhealthy body or mind; they are also, in a broader sense, believed to lead a lesser work life, family life, love life, etc.