- Top 3 health resolutions for 2025: Healthier diet, sleep, less stress.
- Fasting is trending: A third of Austrians fasted in 2024. Half plan to fast in 2025.
- Fasting goals: More than one in three people fast to lose weight.
- Diet: “Eat half” diet is the most used method for weight loss among Austrians – the “low carb diet” is most popular among Gen Z and Millennials.
- Diets: 6.6 percent of Austrians eat a vegetarian or vegan diet – in Gen Z the figure is 13 percent.
- Nutritional supplements: One in seven Austrians plans to use dietary supplements in 2025.
- Savings measures: A quarter of those surveyed buy less expensive healthy food or avoid it altogether – this particularly affects women.
For the sixth time in a row, the Kurhaus Marienkron, founded 55 years ago in Mönchhof (Burgenland), is shedding light on the eating and fasting habits of Austrians. The representative study “Marienkroner Fasting Survey”, in which 1,000 people across Austria were surveyed, provides insights into personal intentions and motives as well as into the health and economic aspects of conscious abstinence. For the first time, the topic of nutritional supplements was also highlighted in connection with fasting as a short-term lifestyle change measure.
Healthy eating, more sleep and less stress – these are the most important New Year’s resolutions of Austrians for 2025, as the current Marienkroner fasting survey shows. The undisputed leader is “healthier/conscious nutrition” (47.4%), followed by “enough sleep” (44.7%) and “reduce stress” (43.4%).
According to the survey, sporting activity will remain a popular goal in 2025: 43.1% of those surveyed would like to do (more) sport, with men (47%) making this resolution slightly more often than women (39.4%). It is noticeable that respondents from Salzburg (35.2%) and Tyrol/Vorarlberg (35.5%) in particular tend to plan to do (more) sport less often. Also high on the list is the desire to spend (more) time in nature (41.5%).
Fasting is very popular: every second Austrian plans to fast in 2025
Fasting will remain a popular resolution in 2025: A third of Austrians fasted in 2024 – and according to the Marienkroner fasting survey, almost half of those surveyed (49.2%) are also planning fasting days or a fasting cure this year – be it through individual fasting days or interval fasting , during traditional Lent or with professional support in a fasting center. Two factors in particular are very important to Austrians for a successful fasting experience: good-tasting fasting foods (39.7%) and enough time for the fasting plan or consciously removing it from everyday life (38.9%).
Further results of the Marienkroner fasting survey – from fasting motives and eating habits to the topics of diets and nutritional supplements – can be found in the appendix to the release.
About the Marienkroner Lenten survey
As part of the sixth Marienkroner Lent survey,… 28.11. bis 5.12.2024 in total 1,010 people (representative of the Austrian population) aged between 18-75 years. The online survey commissioned by Kurhaus Marienkron and carried out by the market and opinion research institute Marketagent focused on attitudes towards fasting, experiences with fasting and diets, the influence of inflation on fasting and health behavior, attitudes towards dietary supplements and resolutions around health and nutrition in the foreground. The survey was conducted for the sixth time in a row.
About Marienkron – Retreat & Health Resort
Founded in 1969 in Mönchhof (Burgenland) by Cistercian nuns, the then Kneipp-Kurhaus Marienkron quickly made a name for itself beyond the borders of the Seewinkel. Marienkron opened in 2019 after a complete renovation and new building with a new focus on intestines and health. In March 2023, the state of Burgenland took over the Marienkron Retreat & Health Resort as sole owner. The offer and focus have remained the same, and since 2024 there has also been a regional daily offer with outpatient fasting and regeneration day with tasty, healthy cuisine and use of the spa, wraps and meditation to get to know each other.
Under the medical direction of Dr. Ulrike Göschl and with the scientific support of the nutritional doctor Prof. Dr. Andreas Michalsen (Professor of Clinical Naturopathy at the Charité Berlin and Chief Physician of the Department of Internal Medicine and Naturopathy at the Immanuel Hospital Berlin), the integrative medical approach includes, among other things, general medicine, Kneipp and fasting medicine, physical medicine, mind-body medicine, dietology and nutritional science , physiotherapy, osteopathy, a variety of massages, wraps, baths and showers as well as exercise, yoga, qigong and meditation. The diet individually tailored to each guest is part of the scientifically based concept at the Retreat & Health Resort Marienkron. Whether it’s a vegetable-focused reduction diet or various forms of fasting such as vegetable, soup or juice fasting, through to intermittent fasting or the “vegetable.SUSHI fasting” newly developed in 2023: culinary enjoyment is combined with health-promoting effects. A “Marienkroner fasting tea” was developed together with the renowned herb house KOTTAS and is available in pharmacies throughout Austria. In 2021, Marienkron published her own cookbook “ENJOY HEALTHY”.