Understanding Wellness and Gen Z – The Next Generation of Growth
Wellness for Gen Z is defined by flexibility, enjoyment, and everyday integration—not rigid routines. Brands that align with these realities will be better positioned to close the gap between intention and action.
When many people think about wellness, they picture discipline, routines, and making the "right" choices.
But Gen Z is reshaping that definition.
In our webinar, Winning with the Wellness-Seeking Consumer, we explored how this generation is engaging with wellness in a way that reflects how they actually live and what that means for brands looking to connect with them.
Gen Z Cares About Wellness
Gen Z may be the least likely generation to purchase a product because it’s perceived as healthy (67% vs. ~73% for older generations), but that doesn’t mean they’re disengaged from wellness - in fact, they have a nuanced relationship with it.
Gen Z is actively thinking about health and wellbeing. 70% want to eat healthier and as other generations the acceleration of health as a purchase driver has grown double-digits since 2019.
They’re exploring new products, seeking information, and making wellness-related choices more often than many brands realize.
Gen Z’s Definition of Healthy
For Gen Z, wellness isn't about perfection. It's not measured by strict routines, rigid rules, or all-or-nothing thinking.
Instead, wellness is often defined by what feels:
Relevant
Achievable
Enjoyable
Balanced
Health exists alongside the other things they value - not in opposition to them.
As a result, wellness becomes something they integrate into everyday life rather than something they structure their lives around.
The Real Insight: Balance, Not Perfection
One of the clearest patterns we see is Gen Z’s ability to hold two seemingly conflicting ideas at once.
They want to feel healthy—70% say they’re actively trying to eat healthier.
They also want to indulge, socialize, and enjoy life - and their behaviour reflects that balance, with only 36% expressing strong excitement around eating healthier and just 33% consistently purchasing healthy products on a weekly basis.
For Gen Z, these aren’t competing priorities - they’re part of the same experience. While 67% have purchased a product because it’s healthy, that behaviour is often occasional rather than routine.
This reflects a broader shift in consumer decision-making. Less about extremes. More about balance - where intention and action coexist, even if they don’t always perfectly align.
What This Means for Brands
Like all consumers, Gen Z experiences a gap between intention and action. Not because they don't care, but because decisions are influenced by:
Context
Convenience
Emotion
Timing
The brands that connect most effectively understand these realities.
Rather than promoting an idealized version of wellness, they align with how choices are actually made - meeting consumers where they are instead of where they think they should be.
Gen Z’s approach to wellness isn’t just a generational trend - it’s a signal of where consumer expectations are heading.
As their purchasing power grows, they’re reshaping how brands need to show up. For Gen Z, wellness isn’t about credentials alone - it needs to feel relevant to real life, easy to act on, and worth choosing in the moment.
1. Lean in with relevance, not only credentials.
Traditional nutrition-first positioning is less compelling on its own
Health needs to feel relevant to real life — how Gen Zs actually live, not just what’s on a label
2. Close the gap between intention and action
Being interested in healthy living doesn’t automatically lead to consistent purchase behavior
Winning requires making the “healthy choice” feel easy, intuitive, and worth choosing in the moment
3. Embrace a both/and mindset
Healthy choices and indulgent choices are not in conflict — they coexist
Brands that allow consumers to “take care” and “treat themselves” will feel more aligned with how decisions are actually made
Understanding how Gen Z thinks, chooses, and engages today isn’t just helpful—it’s critical to building brands that resonate in the future
Watch the Full Webinar
This is just one of the themes explored in Winning with the Wellness-Seeking Consumer. Watch the on-demand webinar to dive deeper into the data, behaviours, and opportunities shaping today's wellness consumer - and what they mean for the future of your brand.
Watch the webinar on demand →