Not even one in two consciously eats a balanced and healthy diet

World Food Day 2021 Study

13-Oct-2021 - Germany

Healthy eating habits not only make a lasting contribution to general well-being, but also reduce the likelihood of chronic diseases. Accordingly, it should be the goal of all Germans to integrate healthy and balanced meals into their everyday lives. However, a population-representative study by the digital insurance manager CLARK shows that not even every:r second German (46 percent) consciously eats a balanced and healthy diet [1]. On the occasion of World Food Day, CLARK informs about current nutrition trends, explains health disadvantages of an unbalanced diet and gives practical tips on how to prevent the consequences of poor nutrition.

Germany is divided: The current nutrition trends

The way we eat changes over time. Probably the most widespread trends at present are vegetarian and vegan diets. The reasons for such a dietary style range from animal welfare to environmental protection. For example, eight percent of CLARK study participants say they consciously eat a vegetarian diet in order to live more sustainably. However, a vegetarian lifestyle can also have other benefits: For example, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes or high blood pressure as a result of an unhealthy diet occur less frequently in vegetarians than in meat eaters [2]. In addition, the body absorbs less saturated fatty acids and cholesterol.

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However, this is countered by another trend: Germans are eating fast food more and more regularly [3]. And one in five Germans (19 percent) is not aware of the acute health risks of fast food consumption. Another 32 percent of the CLARK study participants are of the opinion that excessive junk food consumption can simply be compensated for by more exercise. This is a serious misconception: you can't exercise away a bad diet! In addition to a lack of education, stress can also be a contributing factor to an unbalanced diet. For example, in the CLARK study, just 36 percent of study participants said they made sure to eat healthy even on stressful workdays. This is particularly problematic with regard to Corona, because the stress level of Germans has increased during the ongoing pandemic [4].

Preventing the consequences of inadequate nutrition

An unbalanced or one-sided diet can lead to unpleasant complaints and diseases. Well-known examples are cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, metabolic disorders, vascular diseases or high cholesterol levels. Above all, preventive medical check-ups should therefore be carried out. However, they are not always covered by health insurance. "Patients with statutory health insurance increasingly have to pay for preventive examinations and treatments themselves. For many people with statutory health insurance, it is therefore worth considering supplementary insurance," says COO and co-founder of CLARK, Dr. Marco Adelt. "For example, the statutory health insurance offers its insured only a basic protection, also called standard care," Adelt continues. "A private supplementary health insurance policy helps to close potential gaps in coverage offered by the statutory health insurance funds," says Adelt. A compact overview of various supplementary insurances can be found in guidebook articles on the Internet.

[1] Note on the study: The data used is based on an online survey by YouGov Deutschland GmbH, in which 1008 people participated between 20 and 25 January 2021. The results were weighted and are representative of the German population aged 18 and over.

[2] https://biomes.world/de/wissenswertes/ernaehrung/vegetarisch/pro-und-contra/

[3] https://eatsmarter.de/ernaehrung/studien/food-deutsche-essen-ungesunder

[4] Study note: The data used is based on an online survey conducted by YouGov Deutschland GmbH, in which 2071 people participated between 13 and 15.01.2021. The results were weighted and are representative of the German population aged 18 and over.

Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.

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