Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[faith2k]

Why is "unhealthy" the correct answer instead of "unwell" in the following sentence?

He seems to be rather ______ (unhealthy/unwell) -his deit is bad and he never exercises.

From the book, "Professional English in Use: Medicine"

[dragn]

Hi,

The word unwell emphasizes that you are actually sick. The word unhealthy emphasizes that the current general condition of your health is not very good. You can be unwell without being unhealthy; you can be unhealthy without being unwell...and you can certainly be both. The difference is subtle, but it's there. Perhaps this will help.

OK, let's say your diet is terrible and you never exercise. You smoke. You drink. You drive to the grocery store a block away to stock up on Twinkies. You can't walk to the refrigerator without huffing and puffing. However, you're not actually sick at the moment; you feel fine. You may be a candidate for triple bypass heart surgery before you hit forty, but that's not the point: right now, you're simply unhealthy.

Now, suppose you're a hardcore health nut. You eat right and watch your weight. You swim. You jog. You've won a stage in the Tour de France. However, in spite of the fact that you've been on the cover of Health and Fitness magazine, right now you feel sick. Maybe you ate a granola bar that was past its expiration date; but whatever caused it, right now you feel unwell.

Hope this helps.

Greg

[faith2k]

As clear as crystal now. Thank you very much!
Faith