With　the　global　trend　of　population　aging　in　industrialized　countries,　efficient　information　and　communication　technologies　(ICT)　for　aiding　elders　or　patients＇　healthcare　have　attracted　great　research　attentions.　Among　these　technologies,　health　state　sensing　by　wearable　sensors　and　mobile　phones　is　an　important　foundation.　It　monitors　the　real-time　body　states;　stores,　or　sends　the　result　to　remote　family　members　or　doctors.　In　this　way,　it　can　either　help　people　to　pay　more　attention　to　the　overlooked　phenomenon,　such　as　the　clue　of　dangerous　disease,　or　help　people　to　issue　panic　alert　when　emergency　happens.　There　are　many　critical　issues　in　health　sensing.　First,　the　sensors　must　be　non-intrusive　to　people＇s　comfort　and　safety,　while　providing　good　accuracy.　At　the　same　time,　because　of　being　worn　by　people,　numerous　noises　posed　by　body　motions　must　be　efficiently　processed　for　reducing　false　alarming.　At　last,　different　health　or　decease　signals　generally　require　different　sensing　technologies　and　instrument.　To　tease　out　the　technology　advantages　that　address　these　challenges　and　diversities,　this　paper　presented　a　survey　on　the　state　of　the　art　of　health　sensing　technologies　using　body　sensor　networks　and　mobile　phones.　It　classify　related　works　by　their　application　goals,　including　i)　fall　detection,　ii)　gait　analyzing,　iii)　activity　qualification,　iv)　heart　state　sensing,　and　v)　sleep　sensing.　It　also　conducts　summary　and　comparison　of　related　sensing　systems　and　algorithms,　to　reveal　the　development　lines　in　each　subarea.　©　2014　IEEE.