Introduction. The Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Catholic Church present two distinct approaches to questions of health and lifestyle of their members. The Seventh-day Adventist Church interferes more strongly in the lifestyle and eating habits, incorporating recommendations pertaining to them into the religion. Catholicism does not influence those areas of life quite as substantially, and the only element pertaining to nutrition and lifestyle in the Church’s doctrine is the fasts, whose character is chiefly religious and spiritual. Aim. The aim of the study was to characterize and compare selected lifestyle elements of the members of the Seventh-day Adventist and Catholic Churches. Material and methods. 52 members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and 42 members of the Catholic Church took part in the study. The purposive sampling was employed. A questionnaire was used to evaluate the lifestyle and dietary habits of the respondents. Results. The analysis of data showed considerable differences between the two groups. Seventh-day Adventists presented the more beneficial dietary habits (more frequent consumption of wholemeal products, fruit and vegetables, less frequent consumption of sweets, coffee, tea and alcohol). More frequent occurrence of healthy behaviours such as physical activity and an absence of tobacco use were noted. Conclusions. The lifestyle of Seventh-day Adventists has more healthy features, as indicated by dietary habits and the lifestyle elements presented. It seems expedient to promote proper behaviours in the groups where religion does not emphasize a healthy lifestyle.

Key words: religion, lifestyle, diet.