What term describes a person's health status and risk potential on a continuum from death to optimal well-being?

The term that best describes a person's health status and risk potential on a continuum from death to optimal well-being is wellness. Wellness encompasses more than just the absence of disease; it includes a proactive approach to maintaining and improving overall health. It reflects a holistic view of health, which considers physical, emotional, social, and environmental factors.

While health is often used interchangeably with wellness, it traditionally refers to a more static condition, primarily focusing on the absence of illness. Fitness pertains specifically to physical capabilities, such as endurance and strength, rather than the broader lifestyle and emotional aspects included in wellness. Conditioning relates to the process of improving physical fitness through training but does not encapsulate the overall health continuum that wellness represents. Thus, wellness is the most comprehensive term for a person's overall health status and potential for well-being.