Presented in Inaugural Conference on Disease Mongering, Newcastle, Australia, April 11-13, 2006

1. Exploiting marginality in health: Is ‘subhealth’ another case of disease mongering? Dr. Benjamin T.Y. Chan University of Hong Kong, SPACE

9. Three-dimensional representation of health Source: p.95 FD Wolinsky (1988) The Sociology of Health, 2 nd ed. p.95

10. Eight health states in the three dimensional model Health State 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Label Normally well Pessimistic Socially ill Hypochondriacal Physically ill Martyr Optimistic Seriously ill Psychological dimension well ill well ill well ill well ill Physical dimension well well well well ill ill ill ill Social dimension well well ill ill well well ill ill Percentage* 48.3 11.0 2.2 3.9 11.5 7.6 2.2 13.2 *Based on a example of 500 North Carolinians Source: FD Wolinsky (1988) The Sociology of Health, 2 nd ed. p.97-98

12. Chinese health researchers’ response to the problem of defining health is to propose a ‘dynamic transformational model’: Health Subhealth Disease Instead of Health Disease + 0 (floating) The representation of health, subhealth and disease is A B + C D

13. The representation of health, subhealth and disease is A B + C D where: + C = Health D - = Disease A B = Subhealth AC = Overlap between health & subhealth DB = Overlap between subhealth & disease In this representation, a line spectrum A B replaces 0 and subhealth therefore acquires limits. There can be moderate (AC) and severe (DB) grades of subhealth, the latter representating a pre-clinical state

14. The significance of the ‘dynamic transformational model’ is to provide appropriate bases for looking after these various states, where: State Health Subhealth Disease Action required Nourishment Modulation Therapy Modality Exercise, nutrition Chinese medicine, Rehabilitation medicine, Health food Western medicine States of overlap between health and subhealth and between subhealth and disease would require combination of actions and modalities

24. MDI is commonly referred to as “A drop of blood test”

26. TTM is commonly referred to as “Hot CT”

30. High voltage static electricity therapy Music therapy Float therapy

42. Projected deaths by cause, all ages, China, 2005 Source: WHO, http://www.who.int/chp/chronic-disease_report/en/