What concept illustrates that being unhealthy is often less about a single major event and more about sustained patterns?
Answer
The accumulation of marginal errors over time
The progression toward an unhealthy state is frequently characterized by repeated actions or sustained conditions rather than a single catastrophic event. This is seen when examining unhealthy behavior across categories like nutrition or sleep. For example, missing one night of sleep is minor, but missing two hours of sleep consistently every night for an extended period results in a demonstrable physical vulnerability that meets the definition of being injurious to health. This pattern highlights that the cumulative negative effect derived from the 'accumulation of marginal errors' over time is what truly establishes an ongoing unhealthy condition.

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