Only one in seven lives healthy

Only one in seven lives healthy

Only every seventh German lives well.

(10.08.2010) According to a study of health insurance DKV and the Cologne Sports University, only one in seven Germans lives healthy. Just 13.9 percent of the total of 2,500 respondents stated that they met the minimum requirements in the areas of active exercise and healthy nutrition. The authors presented on Monday their results of the study "How healthy is Germany?" in front.

According to a study by the health insurance DKV and the Cologne Sports University, on average only about 14 percent adhere to the minimum requirements for a healthy lifestyle. Accordingly, only 13.9 percent of Germans exercise regularly, eat healthily, avoid toxins such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption and avoid stress in everyday life.

For the survey, Germans from all parts of the republic were interviewed. According to study results, the people living in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are the healthiest. Around 19.8 percent of the respondents believe in a healthy lifestyle. The least people pay attention to the physical health in Saxony-Anhalt. Only 7.9 percent of those surveyed live healthily there.

The other results in the overview:
About 40 percent of people do not move enough and even one in two does not eat well enough. About 19 percent of the study participants said they regularly drink too much alcohol. More than half of respondents said they were experiencing too much stress.

However, there were differences in the results in terms of age, gender and the federal states. On average, women live healthier than women. In addition, older people pay more attention to their health than young people. For example, one in five elderly people aged 65 and over lives well, but only seven percent of young people (18-29) pay enough attention to their health. Above all, young people eat unhealthily, smoke and drink too much alcohol. Only one in two young respondents regularly eat fruit or vegetables.

Also noteworthy are the following results of the report. Only 40 percent follow the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO recommends that you move "moderately" for 30 minutes five days a week. This includes „To go for a walk“ or fast walking („flex“). The lower the school education, the more people move. However, this is also because people with a secondary school diploma move much more during working hours, while academics tend to sit down and automatically move less. In contrast, however, people with higher education are more physically active in their free time and do more sports.

Academics smoke less according to study results and eat healthier. Apparently, physical activity at the workplace compensates for this unequal ratio among secondary school graduates. Because according to the report: "How healthy is Germany?" Around 16.5 percent of respondents with a high school diploma "healthy all around" live healthy. That's about 2.6 percentage points more than the overall average of 13.9 percent. (Sb)