What does "healthy" mean? It depends on who you ask. The way you view health depends on many factors including where you live, your age, sex, race, and ethnicity, how much education or money your have, and traits you inherit from your parents. The word "health" originates from the same root as theword "whole." Some people see health as a goal; others see it as a process. Health can simply mean freedom from disease. It can also have a more holistic meaning- from what you eat, to where you live, to what you believe. Personal beliefs and life experiences weigh heavily on our ideas about health. External influences such as family, friends, television, movies and advertisements also shape our definitions of health.