Introduction and study objective:
Despite widespread awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle, behaviours that have a negative influence on health are still recognized. An attempt was undertaken to define the role of lifestyle in maintaining health. The aim of this study is to assess the level of selected biomarkers in male and female students of Cracow’s universities with reference to their lifestyle.

Material and Methods:
The materials comprise anthropometric and survey data of a random sample of young males and females studying in Cracow (UJ, EU, UP, UR, AGH, PK), collected as part of a research project concerning the level of body fat and fat distribution in the light of socio-economic status and lifestyle of young students. Standardized differences in indicators of obesity (BM, BMI,% FM, FM, FFM, SF) and fat distribution (WC, WHR, WTR, CI, ESS, TSS, TER) were analyzed among singled-out lifestyle categories (health-promoting, satisfactory in terms of health, and anti-health).

Results:
In terms of the complex variable, females compared to males, tend to lead a healthy lifestyle. People leading a healthy lifestyle are characterized by better nutritional habits. Although higher adiposity was diagnosed in people leading a healthy lifestyle, the central type of fat distribution in the body is characteristic mostly of males leading unhealthy lifestyle

Summary and conclusions:
The observed differences in biological characteristics between the groups singled-out with respect to the quality of the accepted life style, reflect differences in the health potential of young adults. Life style has a modifying effect on weight and body fat, and type of fat distribution. Indicators BM, FFM, WTR strongly controlled by the variable of lifestyle can be treated as indicators of social stratification with reference to socio-cultural sphere measured in this study by the quality of adopted health-promoting lifestyle..