For young people, a healthy diet is a prerequisite for a healthy life

The results of the national survey of the Hello Twenties platform of the company Galenika a.d. showed that Generation Z cares about what they eat. For 52% of them, a healthy diet is a condition for leading a healthy lifestyle, while for 57% of them, that prerequisite is physical activity. The largest number of respondents stated that they currently feel healthy, but also that it is important to work on strengthening the immune system, eat healthy foods and fresh fruits and vegetables regularly, and walk or train regularly. 

Taking care of nutrition has become a priority, and awareness of the importance of healthy eating is growing among young people. The increasing availability of information on this topic contributes to this, as well as the fact that one can influence one's health through nutrition. More and more frequent topics about sustainability, the production of local and organic products, as well as personal experiences that are shared through various channels and through influencers, contribute to raising the awareness of young people about a healthy way of eating at an ever-higher level. Young people mean healthy eating by consuming a variety of foods, paying more and more attention to their quality, using nutritional supplements, such as fish oil, and also trying to avoid using foods that are considered unhealthy (additives, emulsifiers, etc.). 

Health starts at home 

More and more young people are aware that establishing healthy habits directly affects the quality of life, as well as that "healthy habits are learned at home". During the previous year, until the moment when the research was conducted, two out of three respondents introduced some changes in their daily life in order to take better care of themselves and their health. Accordingly, 53% of respondents said that they take more care of what they eat, 63% move or walk more, and 35% declared that they no longer drink or drink less alcohol. Also, 29% of them stated that they drink vitamins and supplements. 

When it comes to health problems, obesity was in fourth place (22% of respondents), while the largest percentage of respondents mentioned tiredness and fatigue (39%), followed by common colds (31%) and anxiety or depression (23%). 

Although aware of the impact that nutrition has on health, young people very often succumb to the consumption of fast food, and the lack of time to prepare healthy food is cited as the reason, especially among those who do not live with their parents. In such circumstances, they see supplementation as a practical solution to compensate for nutritional deficiencies, although they are aware that it cannot completely replace the nutritional values of a properly balanced diet. 

Young people want more time for family and vacation 

As an obstacle to leading a balanced and healthy lifestyle, young people cite the fast pace of life and less and less time for themselves and their loved ones. Negative changes from the environment, such as poor quality of air, food and water, are also cited as the main factors affecting their overall state of health. 

On the other hand, they see nutrition and physical activity as two basic strategies for preserving and improving health, but they do not resort to any drastic changes in life as long as their health serves them well. It is also very important for young people to be able to go out into nature more often and establish a good balance between work and free time. 

What is important to young men and what to young women 

The survey also showed that young women are more concerned with the topic of health, and believe that the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables has a greater impact on good health. In general, girls value daily rituals that contribute to a positive state of health more. Men, on the other hand, value the impact of physical activity more and a significant number of them manage to do sports. When it comes to the source of information, the female part of the respondents is informed mainly through podcasts, YouTube channels, influencers and the like, while men use fewer sources and are mostly informed through the coaches they work out with. 

The Hello Twenties platform conducted research on the lifestyle habits of twenty-year-olds on a sample of 600 respondents from all over Serbia in the period January-February 2024. The target group was divided into two groups - young people aged 19 to 25 years, as well as those a little older, from 26 to 30 years old.