Koreans Shift Focus from Diet to Stress Management in Health Concerns

Koreans are shifting their health management focus from diet to mental well-being, emphasizing sleep and stress management. More individuals are exercising for emotional stability, although actual sleep duration has decreased, highlighting a gap between interest and practice.

According to the '2026 Korea Wellness Report' released by KB Financial Group's Management Research Institute, the top health management concerns this year are sleep (54.0%), stress management (51.9%), and diet management (44.3%). Interest in stress management has increased by 5.3 percentage points compared to 2024, while interest in diet management has decreased by 2.7 percentage points, reversing their rankings.

The purpose of exercise has also changed. The percentage of respondents who exercise for emotional relief, such as stress relief, has risen to 34.8%, an increase of 13.3 percentage points over the past two years. This has moved it to the second position, surpassing chronic disease management (24.1%). Maintaining physical fitness and health remains the top reason at 60.2%, although it has dropped by 4.8 percentage points.

Additionally, 48% of respondents believe that to live a healthy and happy life, one should 'not overdo it, simplify, and rest adequately,' which is more than double the 20.8% who think 'one should set goals and work diligently.'

However, the average sleep duration is now 6.3 hours, a decrease of 0.2 hours from 2024. This is 1 hour and 24 minutes less than the self-reported ideal sleep duration of 7.7 hours. The percentage of individuals meeting the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's recommendation of sleeping more than 7 hours has also fallen to 41.6%, down 8.8 percentage points. The most commonly cited factor affecting sleep quality is 'using a mobile phone right before bed' (45.9%).

KB Financial Group's Management Research Institute stated, "Despite having one of the highest health lifespans in the world, Korea's life satisfaction does not match this. It is now time to discuss overall health that encompasses not just longevity but also physical and mental well-being and social relationships."