Who Are the Gen Zers Obsessed With Wellness?

If today’s young people are known for being extremely online overspenders, then those among them who are wellness enthusiasts are even more so. That’s at least according to Morning Consult Intelligence data, which draws on millions of consumer survey interviews about demographics, psychographics, and shopping behaviors collected daily in more than 40 countries.

Zeroing in on U.S. data, we found that Gen Z wellness lovers consume more than the average Gen Zer across most categories (excluding booze). They’re also highly trend and status-driven, all of which makes them an uber-important cohort to reach, especially as more and more young people continue to fall into it. 

The Gen Z wellness class 

When it comes to general demographics, Gen Z wellness lovers — defined in this analysis as those aged 18-27 who report eating healthy and exercising or playing sports at least weekly — don’t differ all too much from their larger generational cohort. They hold college degrees and reside in various settings (urban, suburban, rural) at roughly equal rates. 

And while Gen Z wellness lovers are slightly more likely to be employed full-time and make at least $50,000 annually than all Gen Z adults, the most notable gap comes (unsurprisingly) in relation to how they categorize their well-being: More than 3 in 5 (63%) of the former describe their health as “excellent” or “very good,” compared to 56% of the latter.

However, when comparing the two groups through a psychographic lens, greater differences begin to emerge.

For example, the share of Gen Z wellness lovers who agree with statements like “I am always looking out for the latest trends” (69%) and “I like to live a lifestyle that impresses others” (58%) are double-digits higher than that of all Gen Z adults. The Zoomer wellness cohort is also uniquely fixated on routine: Over 9 in 10 describe themselves as a “creature of habit,” also double-digits higher than the share of their generational peers who say the same. 

One reason for Gen Z wellness lovers’ apparent preoccupation with achieving — and then preserving — prestige is likely the amount of aspirational media they consume. 

Gen Z wellness lovers’ (media) diet

Relative to all Gen Z adults, Gen Z wellness lovers are notably more likely to use several social media and news platforms. Given that Gen Zers already spend much more time online than any other group, the former is an especially impressive feat. 

It’s certainly no coincidence that the social platforms on which Gen Z wellness lovers most overindex relative to all Gen Zers are Pinterest and TikTok. These two sites have become the center of health and fitness universe online in recent years; they’ve launched the careers of countless wellness influencers, they’ve been (partly) responsible for surges in everything from botox to hot pilates, and they’ve introduced the world to a whole new lexicon of “micro-insecurities,” which can typically only be fixed through a prescribed set of workout or products (or both).

And, according to Morning Consult Intelligence data, Gen Z wellness lovers are predisposed to adhere to these prescriptions. 

The cohort is seven percentage points more likely than their peers to say they use social media to both “share and discuss opinions with others” and to “research products and companies.” They’re also much more likely to say they follow fitness experts, beauty experts and influencers in general. So while all Gen Zers turn to social media for health information, this group does so in a supercharged manner. 

But Gen Z wellness lovers aren’t just consuming a lot of online content, they’re consuming a lot — period. 

Moving and shaking (literally)

Wellness Gen Zers consume — and generally do things — more often than the average Gen Z adult in almost every behavior category, excluding alcohol consumption. 

Gaps are largest in relation to health and fitness activities, like exercising daily (+21 percentage points), ordering groceries online (+10 percentage points) and making frequent athletic apparel purchases (+6 percentage points).

Though movement-centric social activities like run clubs have skyrocketed in popularity alongside Gen Z wellness lovers’ coming of age, our data also indicates that their interest in sports extends far beyond what they can participate in directly. 

Case in point: Approximately 1 in 4 say they attend sporting events two to four times per year, and an equal share say they watch sports daily. Plus, they overindex on engagement with all sports media properties that Morning Consult tracks — including the NFL, NBA, MLB and ESPN — relative to all Gen Z adults. It’s yet another impressive feat of consumption considering that the entire generation has been tapping into professional sports in larger numbers in recent years, too. 

In short, this group’s commitment to health and fitness is driving all kinds of real spending — so much so that some analysts have even gone so far as to deem the wellness industry “recession-resistant.” 

That said, a full picture of Gen Z wellness lovers wouldn’t be complete without discussing their rapidly shifting politics. 

Wellness and worldviews 

Between 2023 and mid-2025, the share of the Zoomer wellness cohort who identify as Republican grew by 13 percentage points — from 19% to 32% — and is now roughly on par with the share who identify as Democrats and Independents. 

While many Gen Zers have been moving toward the political right in recent years, the shift among wellness lovers is notably steep in comparison. And it's undoubtedly related to the “Make America Healthy Again,” or MAHA, movement spearheaded by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Many tenets of Kennedy’s MAHA agenda, including the use of seed-free oils and beef tallow when cooking, have become perennially popular points of discussion online. This discourse has since trickled down into brand messaging and product offerings, with restaurants from Sweetgreen to Steak ‘n Shake touting MAHA-inspired tweaks to their menus in recent months. 

Simultaneously, internet personalities who promote traditional, heteronormative lifestyles have gained massive Gen Z followings as of late. Examined together, these happenings make clear that young people are experimenting with different worldviews and sources of advice, and those preoccupied with wellness are leading the way on such experimentation.

With this in mind, brands should view Gen Z wellness lovers as early adopters, not only of new products or technologies, but of mindsets. No matter how niche or obscure, if a self-improvement claim is tied to a product or service, it’s virtually guaranteed that there will be a sizable market of wellness-obsessed Gen Zers willing to give it a try. And if they have a good experience, they’re probably willing to evangelize it on their own accord, too. 

This memo utilizes data from Morning Consult Intelligence, our new product that makes it easy to explore and build thousands of custom audience profiles to better understand your target customers. To learn more about Morning Consult Intelligence, request a demo here.