Italians know how to live better, but stress and pace hold back change

(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Italians know how to take care of themselves. At least on paper, because practice in real life is another story. Two out of three countrymen, in fact, consider themselves informed about good health practices, but six out of 10 stop at theory because they struggle to be consistent. This is the picture that emerges from the new edition of the Nestlé Observatory "L'Età senza Età", the project that since 2009 has been analysing Italians' relationship with diet, well-being and lifestyles and that since 2024 has expanded its focus to include longevity issues.

With the contribution of the scientific coordinator, Dr. Giuseppe Fatati, nutritionist and president of the Italian Obesity Network, and Professor Patrizia Rovere Querini, director of the Operative Unit of General Medicine for Metabolic Health and Ageing at the Irccs Ospedale San Raffaele and professor of Internal Medicine at the University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, the new survey aims to highlight how essential it is to adopt balanced and wellness-oriented lifestyles to improve the quality of life and, at the same time, to help understand the obstacles that make it difficult to adopt them in everyday life.

Almost all Italians between 35 and 65 years of age believe that nutrition, mental and emotional well-being play a key role in their health. Nutrition is a topic particularly felt by seniors, although in general more than seven out of 10 Italians know the rules of proper nutrition for healthy ageing, a figure that rises to eight out of 10 among women. Again, however, practice is a different story: only slightly more than half manage to be consistent and one in four admit that they rarely manage to do so. The main obstacles to maintaining a healthy diet are the difficulty of persevering with new habits (especially in the 45-54 age group), the cost of healthy food and the lack of time (both reasons expressed particularly by younger people). "Tight schedules and intense work rhythms make it difficult to turn theory into practice. Grocery shopping is the first real act of prevention: today it is possible to reconcile health, taste and speed, but a minimum of planning is needed,' comments Giuseppe Fatati. Planning is also useful when it comes to preparing lunch or dinner, which is seen as a pleasant moment to express care for oneself and others, especially by the most senior citizens (36%). For 21%, however, it is experienced differently depending on the day, and for 20% as a necessary task without any particular involvement.

Italians are aware of the role of physical activity in healthy longevity: two out of three people practise moderate physical activity at least once a week, a widespread and stable habit in all age groups. Yet, for more than half of Italians today, a healthy lifestyle is not within everyone's reach, and the surrounding environment has a great influence: for almost one in two Italians, the availability of suitable urban spaces, such as cycle paths or parks, is a factor that makes it easier to exercise daily. "Longevity is built in the small choices we make every day, especially when we are tired or out of routine. Will counts, but it must be supported by an environment that makes healthy choices easy,' explains Patrizia Rovere Querini. Added to this is the issue of the wellness economy: 'Services, gyms, nutritional programmes and digital solutions are concentrated in cities and have costs that are not always sustainable,' adds Fatati.

To be healthy, however, healthy eating and physical activity are not enough. Fundamental are relationships and life projects. For 70% of Italians having life plans is in fact the main motivation for taking care of their health. The vision of one's own future is therefore the motivational key to persevering and putting into practice the theoretical notions our countrymen are well versed in. Across ages, the main need for the future is to feel good physically and emotionally (over 50%). This is followed by the desire to live fewer years but independently and in good health (20%), a theme less felt by people aged 35 to 44. The Nestlé survey then highlights that the main concerns related to one's longevity relate to stress (42% of the sample), familiarity with illness (38%, but rising to 45% among women), loneliness (35%) and pollution (29% rising to 35% for men).