Young Scots 'care less' about health

The survey says young people worry less about health

Young Scots care less about their health and show general ignorance towards vitamin supplements, according to new research.

A poll carried out by nutrition experts, Nutricia and Boots the chemist, showed that respondents in the 18 to 24 age group had recently suffered the most "ailments".

But almost three-quarters of the 1,000 Scots interviewed said they were more conscious about there health than they were five years ago.

About half of the adults surveyed said that they took multi-vitamin pills.

Older people are more likely to use vitamin supplements

The highest number of ailments among the sample, 56%, was found in the 18 to 24 age group.

Young adults were also found to have the least knowledge of vitamins, with 59% claiming they never took a daily supplement.

Nutricia's nutrition consultant Gareth Zeal said: "The younger generation think they are invincible, but the reality is they are not.

"Later when many start families in their mid twenties, they become more conscious about protecting the family's health."

Across other age groups the survey recorded more encouraging results.

Only 10% of those interviewed admitted to having eaten a deep-fried Mars Bar.

Past legacy

The study also found that 73% of respondents felt they looked after their health better in 2001 than they did in 1996.

Only one third of people in the 25 to 54 age group reported a minor ailment in the previous month, such as a cold or upset stomach, while 44% said they took some form of vitamin supplement.

But in the 55 to 64 year band, three quarters of interviewees said they had avoided minor ailments in that period and half took multi-vitamins.

Mr Zeal said: "The survey also showed that more information is needed, with for instance, less than one per cent of Scots are aware of the beneficial role of fatty acids in dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder."

But he said the findings held out some hope for a turnaround in the nation's health, adding: "Many Scots seem determined to take their health into their own hands and shed the legacy of the past."