The Latin word insalūbris came to our language as insalubrious . This is what is described as something that causes damage to health .
Unhealthy, therefore, can cause an infection or disease , or lay the groundwork for such a disorder to develop. For example: "The factory means that the entire neighborhood has to live in an unhealthy environment" , "The miners have an unhealthy job that constantly puts them at risk" , "The food authorities seized unhealthy merchandise in several businesses in the capital" .
Suppose that in a restaurant the most basic hygiene conditions are not taken care of. Cockroaches and rats proliferate in the establishment and food is prepared in the midst of filth. Due to these peculiarities, it is very likely that diners will become poisoned. That's why you can say that it is an unhealthy restaurant or that this place offers unhealthy food .
Let's take the case of the people who are in charge of collecting tolls from motorists on a route or highway. These individuals remain many hours a day inside a small cabin, performing a single action that requires the same repetitive movement. As you can see, it is an unhealthy job .
Even the overall environment can become unhealthy when there is a high level of pollution . A neighborhood that develops next to a stream of putrid water and around an industrial plant that emits toxic gases at all hours is unhealthy: its inhabitants breathe contaminated air and are in contact with pathogenic microorganisms and vermin. The home should be a place free of polluting agents, a space where you can rest, eat and, in any case, cure any illness. Unfortunately, millions of people have to settle for a property in terrible condition and exposed to various dangers.
There is no doubt about the negative nature of this adjective, since an unhealthy space cannot generate any benefit for human beings. However, it is important to remember that nature is based on balance, and that our language was created by beings of the same species, from our point of view; For other organisms, like cockroaches and rats, for example, the conditions that kill us can give them life.
This term is used very often in popular language, although it is not part of many conversations, since it requires an extreme situation , such as those mentioned above. Among the synonyms that we can use to replace it are the following: harmful, harmful, unhealthy, infectious, sickly and unhealthy . Some of its antonyms, on the other hand, are healthy, hygienic and wholesome .
It is very important to keep in mind that no one is obliged to remain in an unhealthy workspace, but this is supported by the right to demand a change in infrastructure to adapt it to the conditions that the organization needs to develop normally. Unfortunately, given that getting a job is not usually easy for many people, it is common for employees to endure this type of misconduct from their employers so as not to jeopardize their continuity in the company.
Of course, the laws are not always on our side, or at least those who should enforce them, because money and power have the ability to corrupt us and lead us to commit acts that we would not agree with in normal situations. There are many police officers, lawyers and judges who act to the detriment of citizens with the aim of satisfying certain interests. This makes the fight against unhealthy workspaces extremely difficult, since if neither the company nor the authorities help us, there is not much left to do.