Based on a telephone survey of 1352 adults in Germany and The Netherlands 3 health life-style dimensions were distinguished and labelled as: i) sobriety (not smoking, healthy food habits and abstinence from alcohol), ii) activity (participation in sports and exercise and low body mass index) and iii) free-living (alcohol consumption, unhealthy food habits and the (un)importance of physical appearance). Gender, age and level of education were much more important predictors of health life-styles than people's concern about their health. In both nations, women compared to men have a more sober, more active and less free-living life-style. In Germany, older persons are more sober, less active and less free-living. In The Netherlands, older persons were less active. A comparison of the results for Germany and The Netherlands suggests that the structural and cultural embeddedness of health life-styles is somewhat different in both nations.