Aim. The aim of the study was the assessment of selected lifestyle elements (nutrition and physical activity) of secondary school students. Material and methods. The survey was conducted in September 2013 on a purposively sampled group of 184 gimnazjum students. The surveyed group comprised 89 boys and 95 girls. 90 of the children lived in a city, 94 – in the country. An original survey questionnaire was employed. Statistica 9.0 Stat/Soft software was used to process the data; in the statistical analysis, a chi-squared test was employed (p < 0.05). Results. Over two thirds of the respondents declared engaging in physical activity three or more times a week. Only every third respondent indicated that they could meet their physical activity needs at school. Nutritional mistakes occurred frequently; more than half of the students did not eat regular meals and did not have second breakfast; snacking was common. The diet of the respondents did not include enough cereal products, vegetables, fruit, fish, or milk and its products. Conclusions. On account of the mistakes in diet of the surveyed youth and their insufficient physical activity, it is vital to conduct health education, for instance by organizing practical nutrition workshops and after-school sports activities.

Key words: lifestyle, secondary school students, physical activity, dietary habits.