Polly Stoker on Threads and Yarns – personal accounts of health and wellbeing

Senior citizens and first year textile undergraduates getting together to make material flowers is not something that you would associate with the BMJ. Much more Craft magazine, surely? This was certainly my first thought when told to cover the V&A’s one day, “Threads and Yarns” exhibition. But after looking at the brief, (and being a […]

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Richard Smith on the right to health

On first acquaintance the concept of a right to health can seem ridiculous. Why not a right to happiness, beauty, high intelligence, and Arsenal winning the cup every year? The right to health has been questioned legally and on grounds of feasibility and policy, but the Nobel prize winner Amartya Sen answers these questions convincingly […]

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A global conversation on defining health: Alex Jadad and Laura O’Grady

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” In February of 2008 we dreamt of the possibility of publishing an article about the World Health Organization (WHO) definition of health to mark its 60th anniversary. Today, we were very pleased to see it […]

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Klaus Morales: Can doctors be healthy AND happy?

“Work is central to wellbeing, and certain features correlate highly with happiness.” Tony Delamothe (BMJ  2005;331:1489-1490). Agree. But to what extent? I just got home from a whole day of activities and duties at the hospital and let’s say – a bit of bla bla blas. Yes, I am a junior doctor, but not a […]

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